Huawei recently introduced its Mate 70 series, which includes three models: the base Mate 70, Mate 70 Pro, and Mate 70 Pro Plus. A key feature of these devices is the ability to transfer content between them using hand gestures. For instance, a demonstration showed a mother transferring an image from her phone to her son’s tablet by positioning her hand over the screen, “grabbing” the image, and then “releasing” it onto the tablet. This functionality is powered by sensors and cameras under the phone’s display.
The pricing for the Mate 70 series starts at 5,499 yuan (around $760) for the base Mate 70 and ranges up to 8,499 yuan (roughly $1,173) for the Mate 70 Pro Plus. These new models are seen as direct competition to Apple’s iPhone 16 lineup, especially within the Chinese market. Despite facing challenges from US trade restrictions, Huawei continues to push forward with high-end smartphones that integrate more locally produced components.
The Mate 70 series, like the previous Mate 60 models, relies on Huawei’s in-house Kirin 6000 processor, which supports 5G capabilities. Though details about the specific chips in the Mate 70 phones were not disclosed, it’s known that the company has increasingly turned to Chinese-made parts following US sanctions.
These sanctions, which have hindered Huawei’s access to American technologies like Google’s services and 5G components, have pushed the company to focus on developing its own ecosystem and technology.
The Mate 70 Pro Plus is a flagship device packed with advanced features. It has a triple-camera system, including a telephoto camera with 4x optical zoom and 100x digital zoom. The phone also boasts a large 5,700 mAh battery that supports both 100W wired charging and 80W wireless charging.
Additional features include AI-based tools for productivity, such as generating summaries from recordings, real-time translations, and noise cancellation during calls. Moreover, the device offers satellite communication, which allows users to make calls and send messages even without a signal, using the Tiantong and Beidou satellites.
Initially, the Mate 70 series will only be available in China, although Huawei has also launched the Mate X6, a new foldable phone, along with a smartwatch and an electric vehicle. The Mate X6 is expected to make its way to international markets soon, but the Mate 70 models will remain domestic for the time being. These launches emphasize Huawei’s ongoing strategy of developing innovative products despite ongoing challenges such as trade restrictions and the lack of access to Google’s popular apps.
