In a bold move, Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies has unveiled its highly anticipated Mate 70 smartphone series, marking a significant comeback in the premium smartphone market. The launch event in Shenzhen displayed the company’s technological prowess as it aims to overcome chip curbs from the US.
The Mate 70 smartphone is being touted as the most powerful Mate phone ever, according to Richard Yu, chairman of Huawei’s Consumer Business Group. It is armed with an upgraded processor and Huawei’s own HarmonyOS Next operating system, which helps it offer a 40 percent performance improvement over its predecessors.
Satellite Paging System and HarmonyOS Next
One of the standout features of the Mate 70 smartphone is its inclusion of a satellite paging system, making it the first mainstream smartphone to offer this capability. An innovative addition proves Huawei’s willingness to go further on mobile technology and offer users more cutting edge features.
Furthermore, the Mate 70 smartphone marks the first major commercial rollout of Huawei’s HarmonyOS Next operating system. The move follows US curbs last year cutting off the Shenzhen company’s access to Google services.
HarmonyOS Next marked a complete break from Android, both this version and earlier versions of HarmonyOS retained compatibility with Android but Next shows little desire to keep compatibility, which demonstrates Huawei wants to break away from the Android ecosystem and make its own smartphone operating system.
Thriving Ecosystem and Market Recovery
According to Huawei, it has been working hard on creating the HarmonyOS ecosystem, and so far, the firm has managed to rally over 15,000 applications so far. The company has ambitious plans to increase this number to 100,000 apps in the coming months, ensuring that Mate 70 smartphone users have access to a wide range of software options.
The launch of the Mate 70 smartphone has been met with patriotic sentiment in China, fueling Huawei’s market recovery and intensifying competition with other players, including Apple. Research firm Canalys reported China’s Huawei shipped more than 10 million smartphones, marking the fourth quarter in a row where deliveries exceeded that number, making it the country’s second largest vendor of smartphones in the third quarter of 2024. This rebound shows how resilient and determined the company is after overcoming the challenges in 2022.
Advanced Chip Manufacturing and US Curbs
Huawei generally avoids disclosing details about its chips at its product launch events, but chip teardowns of prior models like the Mate 60 and Pura 70 series have found the company using cutting edge chips made by China’s SMIC. The findings come even amid ongoing US export controls.
The launch of the Mate 70 smartphone comes as the US is expected to announce new export controls that could add up to 200 Chinese chip companies to a trade blacklist. In both cases, their aim of these measures is to block them from US suppliers, further complicating the already complicated global semiconductor market. However, Huawei’s successful launch of the Mate 70 smartphone demonstrates the company’s ability to innovate and adapt in the face of adversity.
A Significant Milestone
The Mate 70 smartphone represents a significant milestone for Huawei, showcasing the company’s technological prowess and determination to succeed in the highly competitive smartphone market. With its powerful performance, innovative features, and growing ecosystem, the Mate 70 smartphone is poised to make a strong impact in China and beyond.
As Huawei continues to navigate the challenges posed by US chip curbs, the launch of the Mate 70 smartphone serves as a testament to the company’s resilience and ability to innovate. Huawei has its own operating system and can continue operating as a major global smartphone player thanks to its advanced chip making capabilities.
