As August came to an end this year, Huawei unexpectedly shocked the tech community by revealing the Mate 60 Pro. The introduction of a flagship phone by itself may not have been revolutionary, but what really astounded fans was the inclusion of Huawei’s first in-house 5G chipset in three years—the state-of-the-art 7nm Kirin 9000s. This move represented a major advancement over the Mate 40 range of 2020, which was powered by the 5nm Kirin 9000 and Kirin 9000E.
The backstory to this technological leap lies in the U.S. export rule, preventing foundries using U.S. gear from supplying Huawei with state-of-the-art silicon. As a result, the last 5G flagship from Huawei was the Mate 40 series, forcing the company to turn to 4G versions of Snapdragon chips for subsequent flagship models, such as the 2022 Mate 50 series and the 2023 P60 line.
Global Controversy and Unanswered Questions
The global tech stage erupted in controversy when Huawei unveiled the Mate 60 Pro, leaving U.S. lawmakers flabbergasted. The revelation that China’s largest foundry, SMIC, could construct a 7nm chip capable of supporting 5G connectivity raised eyebrows. As of now, the precise methods by which SMIC navigated U.S. sanctions to build the Kirin 9000s SoC remain a mystery, adding an extra layer of intrigue to Huawei’s latest technological feat.
Looking Ahead: Huawei’s Vision for 2024
According to Richard Yu, head of Huawei’s consumer division, the company is set to launch “disruptive” products in 2024, poised to “rewrite the history of the industry.” These products are promised to be “leading, innovative and disruptive,” as announced during Huawei’s annual fan club meeting. Yu also shared the company’s plans to release native apps and products based on its self-developed HarmonyOS platform, signaling a shift away from Android app support in the next version of the software.
Huawei aims to attract more app developers to contribute to the HarmonyOS ecosystem, with a developer preview of HarmonyOS Next slated for release in the first quarter of 2024.
Success in China: Mate 60 Series
Despite the global controversies, the Mate 60 line has proven to be a success in Huawei’s home market. Canalys, an analysis firm, reports that since the series’ release—comprising the Mate 60, Mate 60 Pro, Mate 60 Pro+, and Mate 60 RS—over 2.5 million units were sold by November 7th. Notably, the Mate 60 Pro accounted for more than 60% of these sales, solidifying Huawei’s strong presence in the competitive Chinese market.
As Huawei gears up for the new year, anticipation is high, with the promise of disruptive innovations and a potential shift in the industry’s landscape. The tech world eagerly awaits the unveiling of Huawei’s next groundbreaking creations in 2024.