Huawei unveils Mate 70 flagships in shift away from Android
The devices come with a homemade OS and chips.
Image by Cybernews.
The devices come with a homemade OS and chips.
Just two months after releasing its first tri-fold smartphone, Huawei has announced a line of new devices: the Mate 70 series and a foldable Mate XT.
The four Mate 70 smartphones – Mate 70, Mate 70 Pro, Mate 70 Pro+, and Mate 70 RS – will run on Harmony OS Next, Huawei’s homegrown operating system (OS).
The new OS no longer supports Android apps, and, according to Richard Yu, chairman of Huawei's Consumer Business Group, it will boost performance by 40% over the previous version.
It will enable a few previously unseen features, such as AI Gesture sharing from device to device. According to Reuters, Mate 70 is also the first mainstream device to support a satellite paging system.
As for the hardware, the new flagships will be powered by Huawei’s homegrown Kirin processor, although the company didn’t mention the processor at the launch event itself. Various reports by users on X point to two distinct chips for the different models, the Kirin 9100 and the Kirin 9020.
The series’ specs appear to be in line with or better than those of the latest flagships. For example, the Mate 70 Pro + reportedly has a base version of 16GB of RAM, a 5700 mAh battery, 100W wired/ 80W wireless charging, and WiFi 7 support.
The devices also have a redesigned camera system, which features a 50MP main shooter f/1.4-f/4.0 aperture, OIS), a 48MP telephoto, and a 40MP ultrawide angle lens.
The starting price of the Huawei Mate 70 base model is 5499 Yuan (around $760). Due to sanctions, the Mate 70 line will not be sold in the US.
Huawei Mate 70 Series / Mate X6 / MatePad Pro 13.2 2025 are coming with Pre-installed Harmony Next. It will support new AI Gesture Sharing from Device to Device of Huawei. The Animation during this process is Amazing!
undefined TECH INFO (@TECHINFOSOCIALS) November 25, 2024
Huawei is Innovative!
No one can settle them at one place. pic.twitter.com/2m8cvLAMFW
The series' predecessor, the Mate 60, surprised many Western experts. It featured Chinese homemade parts, such as 5G connectivity and a 7nm chip, as Huawei was trying to find workarounds for restrictions imposed by the US.
The Mate 70 will reveal whether the company was able to use more homegrown parts, though typically, it takes time for a teardown to confirm.
The launch of the Mate 70 series will likely increase pressure on Apple in China, where it is gradually losing market share.
Huawei launched its homegrown OS last month. It comes with various AI tools, such as writing assistance and summaries and a virtual assistant that can understand contextual information.