Huawei recently introduced its Mate 70 series of high-end smartphones about two weeks ago, featuring state-of-the-art technology. While the patriotic fervor that fueled the Mate 60 sales was evident, it was uncertain whether the Mate 70 would enjoy the same level of enthusiasm. However, it now seems that the popularity of Huawei's latest premium devices has left suppliers struggling to keep pace.
Suppliers Pushed to Their Limits
To summarize, the new flagship series includes the Mate 70, Mate 70 Pro, Mate 70 Pro+, and the Mate 70 RS Ultimate. According to He Gang, CEO of Huawei’s consumer business group, these latest smartphones are achieving remarkable sales figures. He reported that customers in China have reserved over 6.7 million units of the Mate 70 series. It is important to highlight that these figures are reservations, not actual pre-orders, meaning Huawei has not received any payments from these customers yet. Nonetheless, this does suggest a strong interest in the devices.
Market Response to the Mate 70
The reservation figures effectively reflect the public's response to the Mate 70 series. A new article from Beijing (cited by PhoneArena) indicated that Huawei's supply chain is working extra hours to meet the surging demand for the Mate 70 models. The article stated that the initial production run for these premium devices was inadequate. He Gang noted the demand for the Mate 70 has been overwhelming, although some analysts argue that the excitement surrounding the Mate 70 is not as strong as it was for the Mate 60 series.
Potential Supply Challenges Ahead
Experts are concerned that the Mate 70 series may encounter supply chain issues due to complications in chip production. A recent leak from a benchmark test has shown that the Huawei Mate 70 Pro+ is equipped with the Kirin 9020 SoC, which allegedly provides more than a 30 percent performance boost compared to the previous Kiring 9010 chip. While these chips still lag behind the high-end 3nm chips from Qualcomm, MediaTek, and Apple, Huawei is moving away from US-based technologies and is only a few years behind its global competitors.
