By
Godfrey Benjamin
April 11th, 2024
Chinese tech giant Huawei refrained from unveiling its new 5G smartphone during its recent autumn season launch event. Instead, the company focused on electric vehicles, revealing its first sedan and luxury SUV.
On Monday, September 25, Chinese telecommunications and tech giant Huawei remained tight-lipped about its new 5G phone featuring an advanced breakthrough.
Rather than unveiling a smartphone, the company provided a glimpse of its upcoming electric vehicles, introducing its inaugural sedan and a luxury SUV. In addition, Huawei has entered into a partnership with an automaker to market vehicles under the Aito brand.
Furthermore, Huawei launched a new pair of wireless earbuds, retailing for approximately 1,499 yuan ($205), featuring the company’s Kirin A2 chip. These product announcements happened at Huawei’s autumn season launch event, which Huawei livestreamed in Mandarin on Monday afternoon.
The absence of a smartphone announcement left many online enthusiasts disappointed. On the contrary, early hints from the event’s host, Richard Yu, the executive director and CEO of Huawei’s consumer business group, had indicated that no further smartphone details would be disclosed during the event. Yu also oversees the company’s car-related operations.
Nevertheless, many viewers, particularly on the Bilibili video platform, expressed their desire for information regarding the smartphone.
Huawei’s extravagant product launch event kicked off with an orchestral and choral performance of a Chinese song titled “My Dream”. The event also featured a brief speech by Hong Kong celebrity Andy Lau, discussing Huawei’s introduction of a luxury watch design.
However, despite attempting to create a positive atmosphere around Huawei’s and China’s technological capabilities, the high-profile event did not result in a concrete smartphone announcement.
During the event, the company unveiled a new version of its smartwatch, a tablet claimed to be lighter and thinner than the iPad, and a stylus that connects to the tablet using Huawei’s NearLink technology, similar to Bluetooth.
Huawei Moving Strong with Chip Production
Around a month ago, Huawei discreetly introduced its latest smartphone, the Mate 60 Pro, which, according to reviews, boasts 5G-level download speeds thanks to an advanced semiconductor chip. This release signaled that Huawei can still employ cutting-edge technologies despite facing US restrictions.
Analysis conducted by TechInsights reveals that Huawei produced its Kirin 9000s chip, which comes inside the Huawei Mate 60 Pro, using an advanced 7-nanometer process by China’s chipmaking giant, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC). Previously, this 7nm process required an EUV lithography machine from Dutch company ASML, which has also restricted sales to China. It remains uncertain whether older machines or alternative procurement methods were involved in the latest chip production.
Huawei did not provide a comment when asked about TechInsights’ discoveries. Under the pressure of US sanctions, which severed critical smartphone technology supplies like semiconductors and Google software, Huawei’s consumer business revenue has experienced a 50% decline.
The Trump administration initiated restrictions on Huawei’s access to such technology in 2019, asserting that the Chinese telecommunications giant posed national security risks due to alleged connections to the Chinese Communist Party and the country’s military. Huawei has consistently refuted the existence of any such risk.
In the current year, Huawei expressed its anticipation of resuming the launch of its flagship consumer products on a “normal” schedule.