Over the past two weeks, Huawei discreetly introduced three new phones in its Mate 60 series, all of which come equipped with 5G capabilities. According to various sources from China, this move is being seen as the initial phase of a fresh strategic push into the global smartphone market.
Insiders cited by China tech publication IT Home have suggested that Huawei is laying the groundwork within its domestic market in China as a first step and is actively planning to expand its presence internationally. However, specific details regarding the timeline for this expansion remain undisclosed.
It’s worth noting that Huawei has been entangled in a long-standing trade dispute between China and the United States that has persisted for over five years. Consequently, the company has faced restrictions on accessing most US technologies. Nevertheless, the Mate 60, Mate 60 Pro, and Mate 60 Pro+ have been introduced with 5G capabilities and feature the Kirin 9000S chipset, manufactured using advanced 7nm technology.
The company has refrained from providing an official statement regarding the SoC (System-on-Chip) situation. However, domestic reports have unveiled that the chip in question is entirely of Chinese origin. This revelation has sparked additional inquiries into how local companies managed to acquire the expertise necessary for such intricate processes within a notably brief timeframe.
In a noteworthy development, Huawei has recently revised its annual production projection. Initially set at 30 million in January, this figure has now been raised to 38 million.
As of now, 20 million units have already been dispatched, and the upcoming Mate 60 Pro models are poised to account for an additional 6 million units, representing roughly one-third of the remaining outstanding orders.
While there have been reports suggesting that the series might remain exclusive to the Chinese market, Huawei has refrained from issuing an official statement on the matter, thus keeping the possibility of a global release open.
A brief look back reveals that Huawei once held a substantial 42% share of the Chinese smartphone market. However, this share has now dwindled to less than 10%. Moreover, on the global stage, Huawei’s market share currently stands at a mere 3%, signifying a six-fold decline from its position in mid-2019.
