On the afternoon of November 26, Huawei held a celebration for its Mate brand, unveiling the Mate 70 series products along with the Mate 70 RS Ultimate. Additionally, they introduced the foldable device Mate X6 and the first sapphire gold smartwatch, which is also part of the Ultimate series.
Prior to the launch event, nearly 3.36 million reservations had been made for the Mate 70 series, while around 1.17 million reservations had been made for the Mate X6 series. Huawei's executive director Richard Yu stated that these two products will form a powerful combination.
The Mate 60, which was unexpectedly launched in late August 2023, has already set trends, with Counterpoint Research reporting approximately 14 million units shipped. The success of the Mate 70 in continuing this momentum is undoubtedly a focal point of external attention.
Although Huawei did not disclose specific processor specifications, it claimed that the overall performance of the Mate 70 series has improved by 40% compared to its predecessor. In terms of communication capabilities, the devices support "satellite paging," allowing users to be contacted even in areas without mobile network coverage. The Lingxi antenna communication capability has also been enhanced, providing faster mobile network connections and image downloads, resulting in smoother calls in crowded places and high-speed trains.
Regarding artificial intelligence (AI) features, Huawei noted that it introduced AI as early as the Mate 10 in 2017 and began utilizing NPUs well before that. The practical use cases for the Mate 70 are similar to many current products. Huawei provided several examples, such as real-time translation during calls with foreign friends, the ability to "go incognito" when someone tries to peek at messages by switching to viewing them on the smartwatch, and additional features like AI noise cancellation and quiet calling.
The Mate 70 RS Ultimate once again enlisted Andy Lau as its spokesperson, although he did not attend the event in person this time. The design of the Ultimate retains previous aesthetics, resembling the tri-fold Mate XT. Notably, the Mate 70 RS features a dual-layer OLED panel, and Yu mentioned that more smartphones would adopt this technology once costs decrease in the future.
Mate X6, sapphire gold smartwatch unveiled
The foldable Mate X6 was also showcased at the same event. Of particular note is the Collector's Edition, which has triple-network satellite support, including two-way satellite messaging, two-way calling, and low-orbit satellite internet, with public testing for the latter expected to begin in the second half of 2025.
According to Chinese market research firm CINNO Research, the scale of China's foldable smartphone market is projected to reach 3.54 million units in the third quarter of 2024, representing an annual growth of nearly 80%. Among these, Huawei is expected to sell 1.12 million units, securing the top position. In the market segment priced above CNY10,000 (approx. US$1,377.75), Huawei holds an impressive 85% market share. Currently, Huawei offers small-fold, double-fold, and triple-fold models.
In addition to smartphone products, Huawei also launched a sapphire gold smartwatch as part of the Ultimate series. This watch features 18k gold inlays and 24k gold characters, paired with a titanium alloy strap, clearly targeting the high-end market. Furthermore, the smartwatch serves as "the best car key" and supports expedition mode, making it suitable for golf, diving, and outdoor activity enthusiasts, while also supporting dual-band five-system GNSS positioning.
In 2024, Huawei released three Ultimate products, including the tri-fold Mate XT, Mate 70 RS, and the sapphire gold smartwatch.
The Mate 70 has a starting price of CNY5,499, the Mate 70 Pro has a starting price of CNY6,499, the Mate 70 Pro+ has a starting price of CNY8,499, the Mate 70 RS Ultimate has a starting price of CNY11,999, the Mate X6 has a starting price of CNY12,999, and the sapphire gold smartwatch has a starting price of CNY23,999.
Credit: DIGITIMES
