The launch of the Mate 60 Pro last August sparked a spike in Huawei’s smartphone sales. According to research firm Counterpoint, in the first six weeks of 2024, Huawei saw unit sales rise by 64 per cent year-on-year. Meanwhile, Apple’s iPhone sales in China fell 24 per cent during the same period.
Ivan Lam, a senior analyst at Counterpoint, said he expected shipments of about 60 million units of the Pura 70 series this year, which would add important momentum to Huawei’s smartphone sales.
“Initial sales are expected to be really good. There may be some shortage at various channels. But supply will be much better compared to when the Mate 60 was launched. We don’t expect any long-lasting shortage,” he said.
Huawei’s Kirin 9000S chip was reportedly manufactured by China’s Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) despite US export restrictions seeking to limit Beijing’s chip-making capabilities.
It was seen as a symbol of China’s technological resurgence despite Washington’s ongoing efforts to cripple its capacity to produce advanced semiconductors.
The Biden administration began a review of the chip earlier this year and said last month that SMIC might have violated US export rules, while adding it was still evaluating the situation. Questions have surfaced about whether SMIC illegally obtained US tools to make the chip.
