Huawei Launches Mate70 with HarmonyOS Next, China's First OS to Rival iOS and Android

Nov 26, 2024, 05:11 AM

Huawei has launched its latest flagship smartphone series, the Mate70, on November 26th, alongside the dual-folding Mate X6. The Mate70 is powered by Huawei's own HarmonyOS Next operating system, marking a significant move away from reliance on Google's Android. HarmonyOS Next is the first Chinese operating system intended to rival Apple's iOS and Google's Android. Richard Yu, chairman of Huawei's Consumer Business Group, announced that the Mate70 features advanced AI capabilities, including AI Airdrop, and called it the most powerful Mate yet. The Mate X6 is the world’s first smartphone to support satellite communications using Tiantong, BeiDou, and low earth orbit satellite networks. Pre-orders for the Mate70 series opened on November 18th, with reservations reaching 3.34 million so far. Huawei aims to have 100,000 apps in the HarmonyOS Next ecosystem, up from over 15,000 native apps and services as of October 22nd. Yu also stated that all new smartphones and tablets next year will be equipped with HarmonyOS Next. This development underscores the growing technological divide between the US and China, as Huawei's self-sufficient approach highlights the splintering of tech ecosystems.