Huawei’s supply chain team is working overtime to meet demand for its new Mate 70 smartphones, as initial supplies have proven insufficient, an executive told the state-owned Securities Times newspaper on Thursday.
He Gang, CEO of Huawei’s consumer business group, said reservations for the phone had surpassed 6.7 million and described demand as “excessive,” noting that reservations do not require a deposit.
Huawei launched the Mate 70 last week, following the success of the Mate 60 in 2023, which showcased Huawei’s ability to locally produce advanced chips despite years of U.S. sanctions. Analysts, however, expressed concerns that the Mate 70 might face supply bottlenecks due to challenges in chip production and noted lower consumer enthusiasm compared to its predecessor.
The Mate 70 series also marks the first major commercial rollout of HarmonyOS NEXT, Huawei’s Android-free operating system. This development represents a key step in Huawei’s efforts to achieve software independence after U.S. restrictions in 2019 cut off its access to Google services.
HarmonyOS NEXT, which began testing this year, is a complete departure from Android code as Huawei moves to eliminate reliance on U.S. technology. He Gang stated that it could take two to three months to perfect the user experience of HarmonyOS NEXT and confirmed that all new Huawei phones released next year will feature the operating system.
