Huawei’s Mate 60 Pro will help it take lost ground in China but can it help the smartphone giant regain global glory？
- Huawei’s Mate 60 Pro may prove popular with domestic consumers but analysts say its overseas appeal will be limited
- Counterpoint says new model could help Huawei make it back into the top four brands in China in fourth quarter but there will be no race to the top
Huawei Technologies is making a comeback in the Chinese smartphone market with its latest Mate 60 Pro handset, but the US-sanctioned company’s chances of taking on Apple and Samsung Electronics again remain slim, analysts say.
In the past week, Chinese consumers have flocked to Huawei’s usually quiet stores to snap up the new model, priced at 6,999 yuan (US$958) and with a home-made processor just a few generations behind the cutting edge, raising hopes that the Chinese giant may be set for a revival.
However, although the Mate 60 Pro from Shenzhen-based Huawei may prove popular with domestic consumers, analysts say its overseas appeal is likely to be limited by the lack of popular apps such as Google Maps. Presales for the phone are only available in China for now, with no information on whether the handset will be sold in overseas markets.
“Huawei’s strong return will have a huge impact on China’s smartphone market in the second half and in 2024, with more impact on other Android-based phone brands vying for the high-end Chinese smartphone market,” said Linda Sui, a senior smartphone analyst with TechInsights.
Sui added that although Huawei may reshuffle the top five smartphone brand rankings in China, it poses less of a threat to California, Cupertino-based Apple because the brands have different target client bases.