The Chinese tech giant Huawei began selling two versions of its much-awaited high-end Pura 70 smartphone series on Thursday. According to several observers, both models would likely come with a sophisticated chip developed in China, similar to what the Mate 60 smartphone has.
The Shenzhen-based company’s Pura series is renowned for its elegant design and cutting-edge cameras, while the Mate series places more of an emphasis on business features and performance.
Chinese state media hailed the launch of Huawei’s Mate 60 series last year as a victory over US sanctions against the company because the phones use a state-of-the-art chip made in China that is only a few generations behind the cutting-edge chips used by Western tech giants like Apple and Google in terms of processing power.
With a rebranding campaign this week, Huawei hinted at the Pura’s sale by renaming it just “P.”
Huawei launches the Pura 70 smartphone
There are four different models in the Pura 70 series: the 70, the 70 Plus, the 70 Pro, and the 70 Ultra. The Pura 70 series is available for 5,499 yuan ($760.06) as its starting price.
Customers may purchase the Pro and Ultra models on Thursday, while the Plus and base versions won’t be available for purchase until April 22.
Within minutes of the sales beginning, Huawei’s official online store sold out of both the Pro and Ultra models. Huawei flagship stores in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen are crowded with hundreds of the brand’s devotees.
When Reuters visited the flagship store in Shenzhen on Thursday, almost 100 clients in line were given bottles of water to wait for their purchases. It’s possible that the Shanghai retailer compelled buyers to register the gadget and open the box in order to stop them from reselling the phones for more money.
Due to the overwhelming demand, Huawei employees also informed some of the fans waiting in line that there was no assurance they would receive the device on Thursday.
Huawei’s smartphone sales surged in August after the Mate 60 Pro’s release. The research firm Counterpoint reports that Huawei’s unit sales increased by 64% year over year in the first half of 2024.
In the same time frame, Apple’s iphone repair near me sales in China decreased by 24%.
Senior analyst at Counterpoint, Ivan Lam, predicted that Huawei will ship roughly 60 million handsets this year, with the Pura 70 series serving as a major driver. Huawei sold roughly 32 million handsets in the previous year.
Initial sales are anticipated to be very strong. There can be a shortage in a few different places. However, supply will be far better than it was at the Mate 60’s launch. We don’t anticipate a protracted shortage,” he stated.
Despite US export prohibitions aimed at limiting Beijing’s chip-making capabilities, China’s Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) is purportedly the manufacturer of Huawei’s Kirin 9000S chip.
It was viewed as a representation of China’s technical comeback in spite of Washington’s continuous attempts to undermine its ability to manufacture cutting-edge semiconductors.
The Biden administration started looking into the chip early this year, and it revealed last month that SMIC may have broken US export regulations. However, it added that it was still investigating the matter. Concerns have been raised over whether SMIC made the chip using illicitly obtained American tools.