Huawei begins sale of Pura 70 smartphone sale, packed with new China-made chips

Huawei Pura 70: Huawei commenced sales of its highly anticipated Pura 70 smartphone series on Thursday, featuring advanced Chinese-made chips similar to those in its Mate 60 model. The Pura series, known for its sophisticated design and advanced camera capabilities, complements Huawei's Mate series, which focuses on performance and business functionalities.

Eric Xu, Huawei's acting chairman, announced plans to announce the Mate 70 smartphone later this year. The Pro and Ultra versions of the Pura 70 were released on Thursday, with the Plus and base versions slated for sales starting April 22. Demand was robust, with Huawei's official online store selling out within minutes and enthusiastic crowds lining up at stores in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen.

The Pura 70 series comes with a series of new features, with one customer affirming its network speed akin to 5G, despite Washington's ban on licensing 5G chips to China. While details about the internal chip remained undisclosed to consumers, anticipation was high regarding its performance.

Ivan Lam, a senior analyst at Counterpoint, anticipated a significant boost in Huawei's shipments this year, driven by the Pura 70 series. Despite challenges posed by supply chain disruptions, Lam expressed confidence in Huawei's ability to meet demand, citing improvements in supply compared to the Mate 60 launch.

The launch of the Mate 60 Pro last year marked a turning point for Huawei, witnessing a surge in smartphone sales amidst a decline in iPhone sales in China. Huawei's Kirin 9000S chip, produced by China's Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), symbolized China's resilience in the face of U.S. export restrictions.

The Biden administration's ongoing review of the chip's export and trade restrictions underscores the geopolitical tensions surrounding Huawei's operations. However, Huawei remains committed to innovation, with plans to enhance its HarmonyOS operating system to compete with established rivals like Apple's iOS and Android.

Overall, Huawei's introduction of the Pura 70 series reflects its determination to push technological boundaries despite geopolitical challenges, signalling continued competition in the global smartphone market.

(With Reuters inputs)