Huawei's New Phone Series: A Threat to Apple's Dominance in China?

Huawei has launched a new series of smartphones, the Mate 60, which have drawn attention for containing technology that indicates the company has managed to overcome US sanctions. The phones are powered by a new Kirin 9000s chip that was made in China by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC), and they also contain more Chinese-made chip components than previous models.

The Mate 60 Pro is priced from 5,999 yuan ($817.70), the same as Apple's iPhone 14 in China. Analysts say the Mate 60 might mark Huawei's comeback as a rival to Apple in China, with sales helped by patriotic fervor. Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst with TF International Securities, said he expects the Mate 60 Pro to ship between 5.5 to 6 million units for the second half of this year, up 20% from previously planned volumes.

The launch of the Mate 60 comes days before Apple is expected to launch its new iPhone 15 on Sept. 12. It remains to be seen whether Huawei will be able to challenge Apple's dominance in the Chinese smartphone market, but the Mate 60 is certainly a step in the right direction.