Picture Credit: Huwawei
Huawei has launched its new flagship cell phone, the Mate 70 series, running on the company's homegrown operating system, called HarmonyOS Next. This is a huge step in the ongoing efforts of Huawei to reduce its reliance on Western technologies, particularly Google's Android and Apple’s iOS. Priced at a relatively low $760, Mate 70 is also equipped with AI-powered features, including advances in photography and in providing live transcription, to compete directly with Apple's offerings in China.
The Mate 70 arrives only a year after last year’s Mate 60 Pro, which featured a groundbreaking chip more advanced than any previously produced by a Chinese company. The Mate 60 Pro was conceived as a symbol of hope amid the ongoing U.S.-China tech rivalry, especially after U.S. sanctions muzzled Huawei's access to crucial semiconductor components. Nevertheless, in 2023, Huawei made a remarkable comeback to gain considerable market share since its existence; Huawei stood at 33% versus Apple’s 72% in 2022, only to plunge to 52%.
The U.S. sanctions removed access to advanced chips to a certain extent and paved the way for subsequent changes in Huawei's strategy. The change, primarily to Harmony, is centered on granting Huawei independence in regard to the Android system. Moreover, it's hugely troubling that while chip production continues for Huawei via the support of China's Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, at present it is the only company capable of manufacturing the latest and technically advanced chips; however, SMIC is already burdened with very heavy plant production.
Despite such adversities, over three million pre-orders going through for Mate 70 in China show that consumers are excited. Its new ideas and ecosystem development with AI-driven features will provide Huawei with traction to push back further against Apple in the Chinese market. Remaining competitive in the smartphone industry will depend on how Huawei secures a steady supply of chips.
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