Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies has launched its Mate 70 smartphone series, marking a significant milestone in its premium smartphone comeback.
The series, unveiled on Tuesday, showcases Huawei’s own operating system, HarmonyOS NEXT, which aims to break away from U.S. technology.
According to Richard Yu, chairman of Huawei’s consumer business group, the Mate 70 is “the most powerful Mate phone ever.” The device boasts improved performance, thanks to its satellite paging system, enhanced processor, and HarmonyOS NEXT operating system, which collectively provide a 40% boost in performance compared to previous models.
The Mate 70 series is priced starting at 5,499 yuan ($758), with Apple’s base iPhone 16 model selling for 5,999 yuan in China. The series is available in various storage configurations, including 12GB+256GB, 12GB+512GB, and 12GB+1TB options.
Huawei’s HarmonyOS NEXT operating system is a significant step towards the company’s goal of software independence. The system, which began testing this year, marks a complete departure from Android code, allowing Huawei to eliminate its reliance on U.S. technology.
The Mate 70 series will offer users a choice between HarmonyOS 4.3, which maintains Android compatibility, and the new HarmonyOS NEXT 5.0. All new Huawei phones and tablets launching next year will run the Android-free version.
The launch of the Mate 70 series comes as the U.S. is expected to announce new export controls that could add up to 200 Chinese chip companies to a trade blacklist.
Despite these challenges, Huawei has made significant strides in its premium smartphone comeback, with deliveries exceeding 10 million units for the fourth straight quarter.
Research firm Counterpoint expects shipments of the Mate 70 series to exceed 10 million. The series is available in various colors, including Spruce Green, Hyacinth Purple, Snowy White, and Obsidian Black.
Huawei’s Kirin 9100 chipset, made by top Chinese contract chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC), will power at least some versions of the Mate 70. However, production challenges may restrict its availability to higher-end model.
The Mate 70 series will go on sale in China starting December 4. As Huawei continues to push the boundaries of innovation, its patriotic sentiment has helped fuel its market recovery and intensified competition with other players in the world’s largest smartphone market.
