Huawei disappointed viewers by not talking about the Mate 60 phones.

Shanghai/Beijing:

Huawei Technologies on Monday unveiled a series of new products, from a gold smartwatch to a smart car, but disappointed viewers by not revealing more details about its new Mate 60 smartphone series, prompting complaints online. The series started.

The event, held in a stadium and watched by millions online, was expected to see Huawei break its silence on smartphones, hailed by Chinese state media as a sign that the firm is moving ahead of US sanctions. After which its reach has declined since 2019. Advanced chip-making tools and crippled its smartphone unit.

It was a smartphone. started Without much fanfare during US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo’s visit to China last month. Some users and analysts who have bought the Mate 60 Pro say that it uses a Chinese made chip And capable of 5G speeds.

Huawei has yet to comment on the full capabilities of the Mate 60 series, which is seen as its first major attempt after the ban to challenge Apple’s dominance in the smartphone market.

Yu Chengdong, CEO of Huawei’s consumer business group, however, alluded to the smartphone in his opening remarks when he “specially thanked the entire nation for their tremendous support, especially since the (Mate 60 Pro) Pioneer program was launched”. .

As Yu spoke, audience members chanted “far, far ahead” — a phrase that has gone viral on Chinese social media since the Mate 60 Pro’s launch in reference to Huawei’s competition.

Yu said, “Our products have been well received and trusted by everyone since they hit the market. We are immediately working overtime to develop more so that more people can use our products. can buy,” Yu said.

‘Why didn’t they talk about it’

But as the two-hour-long event progressed, commentators on the live stream began asking when U would talk about the Mate 60 as it evolved from a tablet product to an extreme, high-end brand of ‘ultimate design’. introduced a series of new products called

By Monday afternoon, after the event ended, the topic “Smartphones not mentioned in Huawei’s press conference” started trending on the Weibo social media platform and became the most read with over 8 million views. Wale was among the top ten hashtags.

“Why didn’t they talk about it? Everyone saw it because of the smartphone,” said Manilar, a Weibo user.

The event ended with a group of people on stage waving Mate 60 smartphones with flashlights as they sang “Glorious Years,” a cantopop song by Hong Kong rock band Beyond with South African lyrics. I describe the struggle Nelson Mandela faced.

Another Weibo user said that such an ending, combined with the lack of smartphone discussion, surprised him.

“What kind of movement is that?” They said.

Huawei did not immediately respond to a request for comment on its decision not to discuss the Mate 60 Pro during the event and the social media backlash.

Brian Ma, a technology analyst at consultancy IDC, said he was not surprised that Huawei avoided the “lightning rod” title.

“After all, Huawei had too many other products to cram into the two-hour-long launch, while the Mate60 has already been on store shelves and in consumers’ hands for a few weeks,” he said.

Huawei updated its official website after the event to include the prices of its Mate 60 Pro+, which will start at 8,999 yuan ($1,230), and the Mate 60 RS Ultimate Design version, which costs 12,999 yuan. Apple’s new iPhone 15 Pro is priced from 7,999 yuan in China.

Meng’s comeback anniversary

The timing of the event was also seen as symbolic, as it coincided with the two-year anniversary of Huawei’s rotating chairwoman Meng Wanzhou’s return to China.

She returned in 2021 after nearly three years in detention over alleged attempts by Huawei-linked companies to sell goods to Iran in violation of US sanctions.

The extradition drama has become a source of friction between Beijing and Washington. Meng, the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, was allowed to return home after reaching a deal with US prosecutors.

Broadcast live on Huawei stores, 156 local media and Chinese social media platforms, Monday’s product launch event drew a large audience, after dozens of shoppers flocked to the Yuko stage at Huawei’s flagship store in Beijing. clap your hands.

A shopper at the Beijing store, 29-year-old engineer Zhang Nianrong, said he saw the Mate 60 Pro as “greater than its value” and planned to buy it.

“The smartphone represents a very important meaning. It means that even the most malicious restrictions cannot affect the development of human technology. It is very meaningful and it affects us as a young generation. “