Huawei launches Mate 70 with its own OS, marking a ‘complete break’ from Android
Huawei Technologies has unveiled its new Mate 70 smartphone series, marking a significant step in the company’s return to the premium smartphone market. This release follows the success of the Mate 60 series, which debuted last year and was seen as a sign of Huawei’s recovery, particularly after it was severely impacted by US export restrictions.
The launch of the Mate 70 series comes at a time when the US is expected to impose even stricter export controls on Chinese tech companies. These measures could potentially add up to 200 Chinese chip companies to a trade blacklist, limiting their access to US suppliers. Despite this, Huawei continues to push forward with its smartphone development, with the Mate 70 being described as the "most powerful Mate phone ever" by Richard Yu, Huawei’s consumer business group chairman.
The Mate 70 will be priced starting at 5,499 yuan ($758), which is slightly lower than the base model of Apple’s iPhone 16, which costs 5,999 yuan in China. The new smartphone boasts several advancements, including a satellite paging system, an upgraded processor, and Huawei’s own HarmonyOS Next operating system. These improvements are expected to increase the phone's performance by 40% compared to previous models.
A major highlight of the Mate 70 is that it marks the first major commercial release of HarmonyOS Next. This version of Huawei’s operating system represents a complete break from Google’s Android, a move that began after Huawei lost access to Google services in 2019 due to US sanctions. Huawei has been working hard to build its software ecosystem, and just last week, the company announced it now has over 15,000 apps for its HarmonyOS, with plans to expand to 100,000 in the near future.
In terms of hardware, the Mate 70 series is expected to include Huawei's own Kirin 9100 chipset, made by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC), China’s top chipmaker. This is part of Huawei’s push to reduce its reliance on Western technology, despite the challenges posed by ongoing US sanctions. While the exact chip configuration hasn't been confirmed, it is believed that the higher-end models will feature this new Kirin chip.
Huawei’s recovery has been impressive, and the company is now the second-largest smartphone vendor in China. In the third quarter of 2024, Huawei shipped over 10 million units, marking its fourth consecutive quarter of strong deliveries. This is a huge improvement from 2022, when Huawei’s shipments had dropped significantly due to sanctions. Research firm Counterpoint expects that the Mate 70 series will exceed 10 million shipments as well.
Huawei's ability to innovate and create new technologies in the face of challenges has earned it support from many Chinese consumers, further fueling its recovery and strengthening its position in the highly competitive smartphone market, especially against competitors like Apple.
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