On Monday, Huawei Technologies (HWT.UL) unveiled several new items, including a gold wristwatch and a smart automobile. Still, viewers were disappointed when further information about its new Mate 60 smartphone series was withheld, sparking online complaints.
The event, which took place in a stadium and was streamed to millions of people online, was anticipated to see Huawei finally speak out about the smartphone. Chinese state media hailed this as proof that the company had overcome U.S. sanctions, which have prevented it from accessing sophisticated chipmaking equipment and have severely hampered its smartphone division since 2019.
The smartphone was quietly unveiled last month during a trip to China by U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. According to several consumers and analysts who purchased one, the Mate 60 Pro is said to feature a Chinese-made processor and support 5G speeds.
The Mate 60 series, viewed as Huawei’s first significant attempt to challenge Apple’s (AAPL.O) supremacy in the smartphone industry since the sanctions, hasn’t received any comments from the company yet.
In his introductory remarks, Yu Chengdong, CEO of Huawei’s consumer business group, made mention of the smartphone, thanking “the entire nation for their tremendous support, especially since the (Mate 60 Pro) Pioneer Program was launched.”
The slogan “far, far ahead” has been popular on Chinese social media since the debut of the Mate 60 Pro as a critique of Huawei’s competitiveness. Audience members yelled it while Yu spoke.
“Since our products reached the market, everyone has highly accepted and trusted them. Yu stated that we are frantically working overtime to increase production so that more people may purchase our items.
Why didn’t they discuss it?
But as the two-hour event went on, viewers on the live stream started questioning when Yu would discuss the Mate 60 as he unveiled several new goods, from a tablet to a luxury line named “Ultimate Design.”
The topic “Huawei’s press conference did not mention smartphones” started trending on the social media site Weibo by Monday afternoon, following the event’s conclusion. It was among the top ten most-read hashtags, with over 8 million views.
Why didn’t they discuss it? Because of smartphones, everyone saw it, according to Weibo user Maniler.
The concert culminated with a group singing “Glorious Years,” a Cantopop hit by Hong Kong rock band Beyond, while holding up Mate 60 cellphones with flashlights turned on. The song’s lyrics discuss Nelson Mandela’s troubles in South Africa.
Another Weibo user expressed his confusion at such an ending without mentioning the smartphone.
He questioned, “What kind of a move is this?”
Requests for comment about Huawei’s choice to avoid talking about the Mate 60 Pro during the launch and the response on social media immediately went unanswered.
The fact that Huawei avoided the subject “given what a lighting rod” it was, according to Bryan Ma, a technology analyst at consultancy IDC, was not a surprise.
“After all, Huawei had a lot of other products to cram into a long two-hour launch, whereas the Mate60 has already been on store shelves and in users’ hands for a few weeks now,” he claimed.
After the ceremony, Huawei updated its official website to include the Mate 60 Pro+ pricing, which starts at 8,999 yuan ($1,230), and the Mate 60 RS Ultimate Design price, which starts at 12,999 yuan. In China, Apple’s new iPhone 15 Pro starts at 7,999 yuan.
A YEAR SINCE MENG’S RETURN
The event’s timing, which fell on the second anniversary of Huawei rotating Chairwoman Meng Wanzhou’s return to China, was also viewed as meaningful.
Following a nearly three-year incarceration due to allegations that firms connected to Huawei tried to transfer technology to Iran in violation of American sanctions, she was released in 2021.
The drama surrounding extradition became a point of contention between Beijing and Washington. After arranging with U.S. prosecutors, Meng, the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, was permitted to return to her native country.
The product launch event on Monday attracted a large audience and was broadcast live across Huawei stores, 156 local media outlets, and Chinese social media platforms. When Yu took the stage, scores of customers at Huawei’s flagship store in Beijing applauded.
One customer at the Beijing store, 29-year-old engineer Zhang Nianrong, claimed he regarded the Mate 60 Pro as “carrying significance far beyond its value” and intended to purchase one.
“The smartphone has a significant meaning. It implies that even the most infamous penalties cannot harm the advancement of human technology. It has a lot of depth and motivates us at a younger age.
