In order to circumvent U.S. sanctions and maybe reemerge as a competitor to Apple, China’s Huawei Technologies recently unveiled a new line of smartphones that have attracted attention on a global scale.

The Mate 60 and Mate 60 Pro were first introduced by the firm at the end of August. On Friday, the Mate X5, a new iteration of its foldable phones, and the Mate 60 Pro+ were introduced. Priced at 5,999 yuan ($817.70), the Mate 60 is comparable to Apple’s iPhone 14 in China.

The following are some essential details concerning Huawei’s new smartphones, their suppliers, and what they might imply for the largest smartphone market in the world:

• Huawei has mostly highlighted the devices’ capabilities for satellite communications, which enables users to make calls or send messages even in places without internet or mobile services, such mountains or the ocean.
• The phone is powered by a brand-new Kirin 9000s chip that was manufactured in China by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC), according to analysis firm TechInsights.
• The Mate 60 Pro may be able to download data at rates that are faster than the best 5G smartphones, according to speed tests that customers posted on Chinese social media.

Chinese customers who compared the phones to Apple’s most recent iPhone 14, the iPhone 14, have posted online evaluations stating that they feature similar characteristics, such as storage and memory. Additionally, Huawei’s announcement occurs a few days before Apple is anticipated to release its new iPhone 15 on September 12.

Huawei has not publicly identified the component suppliers for the phones, however in addition to SMIC, TechInsights reported finding DRAM and NAND parts from South Korean manufacturer SK Hynix in the device.

Since the United States imposed sanctions on Huawei in 2019, SK Hynix, which claimed it had stopped doing business with the company, has announced it is looking into the matter.

According to TechInsights, the Mate 60 Pro has more Chinese-made processor components than earlier generations.

Online lists of potential Chinese suppliers have been extensively disseminated, and the anticipation has caused the shares of businesses mentioned as contenders to jump.

Most of these are already Huawei suppliers. In the days following Huawei’s introduction, for example, shares of Dongguan Chitwing Technology Co. Ltd, which produces moulds, increased by the daily maximum of 10%. A Reuters inquiry for comment received no response from it.

Visionox Technology, a Suzhou-based display manufacturer whose shares have increased by 15% since the new handsets were introduced on August 29, confirmed to Reuters that it was a supplier for the new Mate 60 series.

The United States restricted Huawei’s access to chip-making equipment necessary for creating the most cutting-edge handset models, which caused its market share to slowly decline. Huawei was once the largest smartphone company in the world by sales. Using accumulated chips, the company was only able to offer a few number of 5G devices.

Its market share in China, the largest smartphone market in the world, has decreased this year from 27% to 11%, in part as a result of its decision to sell its entry-level brand Honour in what it characterised at the time as a step to ensure its survival.

Due to American limitations, Apple is now the primary manufacturer of high-end cellphones in China. According to data from the research firm Counterpoint, Apple’s market share in China increased over this time from 11% to 19%.

Analysts predict that Huawei’s return to the competitive scene with the Mate 60 will be aided by patriotic fervour as state media and internet users applaud the launch as a rebuke to the United States amid escalating tensions between Washington and Beijing.

According to Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst with TF International Securities, 5.5 to 6 million Mate 60 Pro units, or 20% more than initially anticipated volumes, are expected to arrive in the second half of this year.

Additionally, Kuo estimates that cumulative shipments of the Mate 60 Pro might reach at least 12 million devices 12 months after introduction.

(Adapted from Reuters.com)