Huawei poised to sell millions of its surprise smartphones in China amid possible chip breakthrough and patriotic fever
- Huawei is preparing a stockpile of at least 15 million units of the Mate 60 series, with no fewer than 7 million handsets expected to be sold, according to analysts
- The new Mate 60 Pro, which is believed to support 5G connectivity, was sold out on major online channels as of Monday
Huawei Technologies’ latest flagship smartphones have been met with enthusiasm in China, where some consumers see the device as a symbol of national pride and evidence that the country can break through US sanctions targeting Chinese home-grown technology champions.
The Mate 60 Pro was sold out on Huawei’s official stores on both JD.com and Taobao as of Monday, while Huawei’s Vmall was set to release a new batch for purchase in the early evening after selling out earlier batches. When a Post reporter visited Huawei’s store in Shenzhen’s Nanshan district last Tuesday, shortly after the Mate 60 series opened for sale, around 25 customers had already lined up to buy the handsets.
One of those who managed to get their hands on the new phones was a reporter at Yuyuantantian, a Weibo account affiliated with state broadcaster China Central Television.
A photo that the account posted on August 30, featuring US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo giving a speech during her visit to China, showed a watermark indicating that the image was shot with a Mate 60 Pro.
Huawei is expected to rack up sales of no fewer than 7 million units of the Mate 60 series, barring any supply glitches, according to Ivan Lam, a Hong Kong-based senior analyst with market consultancy Counterpoint Research.