Mate 60 Series Drives Demand
"Changed the Situation with New Smartphone"
Huawei is making a comeback in the Chinese market with its latest smartphone developed using domestic technology. Last month, smartphone sales surged, leading to an increase in market share within China.
According to market research firm Counterpoint Research on the 14th (local time), sales of Chinese-made smartphones in the first four weeks of last month increased by 11% compared to the previous year. The credit for the sales increase goes to Huawei. Last month, Huawei's smartphone sales rose by a remarkable 83% year-on-year.
During the same period, Xiaomi's smartphone sales also increased by 33%, but Huawei's performance was the most outstanding.
Archie Zhang, a China analyst at Counterpoint Research, said, "The most notable in October was undoubtedly Huawei," adding, "Thanks to the Mate 60 series, the situation has changed, and the growth was dazzling."
He continued, "Demand continues to record double digits. Other models are also performing well due to the halo effect."
The Mate 60 Pro is the first smartphone made solely with Huawei's own technology without assistance from overseas companies, despite being blacklisted by the U.S. government. At the end of August, Huawei surprised the world by unexpectedly announcing the Mate 60 series.
In particular, the Mate 60 Pro is equipped with a 7-nanometer (nm) application processor (AP) designed by Huawei and manufactured by the Chinese semiconductor foundry SMIC, and the cutting-edge 5G chip was also produced entirely with Chinese technology.
The 5G smartphone 'Mate60 Pro' is displayed at the Huawei store in Shanghai, China. [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]
Accordingly, the proportion of Chinese-made components inside the smartphone has increased compared to previous products. According to a recent analysis of the Mate 60 by the electronics disassembly and investigation company Formalhaut Technosolutions, reported by Nikkei Asia, the ratio of Chinese-made parts used in the device rose from 29% to 47%, an increase of 18 percentage points (p).
The Mate 60 series has become a "symbol" of China overcoming the harsh U.S. technology sanctions and has also benefited from "patriotic consumption" within China.
However, it remains uncertain whether Huawei can perform well globally beyond the Chinese market. Currently, it is known that the Mate 60 series is struggling even to meet demand within China.
In this regard, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) pointed out, "Huawei's production capacity is unable to keep up with demand, resulting in order waiting times of up to three months," and noted, "There are many hurdles to overcome for Huawei to rebuild its smartphone industry."
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