Huawei has apologised after it was revealed that a photo it posted online to promote its latest smartphone was taken on a professional camera.

The smartphone-maker posted a photo on its Google+ page, with a caption saying its device "makes taking photos in low-light conditions like this a pleasure".

But the image metadata showed that the photo was taken with Canon camera equipment costing upwards of £2,000.

Huawei apologised and said it did not intend to mislead.

The original social media post said: "We managed to catch a beautiful sunrise with Deliciously Ella. The [new device] makes taking photos in low light conditions like this a pleasure."

However, image metadata is automatically displayed next to photographs on Google+.

The discrepancy was spotted by a writer for smartphone news site Android Police.

In a statement, Huawei said the photo had been taken during the recording of a new advertisement.

"We recognise though that we should have been clearer with the captions for this image. It was never our intention to mislead. We apologise for this and we have removed the image," it said.

Rival phone-maker Nokia apologised for a similar mistake in 2012, after an advertisement it claimed was recorded on one of its handsets was revealed to have been shot on professional equipment.