Huawei has a massive lineup of ‘disruptive’ products for 2024 after surprise launch of 5G smartphone

Huawei Technologies, despite facing US sanctions, is set to launch “disruptive” products in 2024 that could potentially reshape the industry, according to Richard Yu Chengdong, CEO of Huawei’s consumer business group. The announcement was made at the company’s annual fan club event, where Yu emphasized that these products would be innovative and industry-leading. However, specific details about the nature of these products were not disclosed. The statement follows Huawei’s recent surprise entry into the 5G smartphone market with the Mate 60 series, powered by the Chinese-made Kirin 9000s processor. Despite trade sanctions limiting access to American technology, Huawei managed to achieve significant success, selling 2.4 million units of the Mate 60 series within eight weeks of its late August launch, according to Counterpoint. At the fan club event, Yu also revealed Huawei’s plans to release native apps and products based on HarmonyOS, the company’s self-developed mobile platform. By doing so, Huawei aims to become one of the leading operating system operators in China. The next iteration of HarmonyOS will no longer support Android-based apps, aligning with Huawei’s strategy to counter the impact of US sanctions. As part of the HarmonyOS expansion, Ant Group, Alibaba’s fintech affiliate, is developing a HarmonyOS version of its mobile payment app Alipay. Additionally, the China unit of McDonald’s has joined Huawei’s platform, making it one of the first multinational food companies in China to do so. Alibaba is also working on a HarmonyOS-compatible version of its workplace collaboration app DingTalk. Huawei is actively engaging developers to join its HarmonyOS platform, and a developer preview version of HarmonyOS Next is expected to be launched in the first quarter of 2024. The company’s commitment to innovation and the expansion of its software ecosystem reflects its resilience in the face of challenges posed by geopolitical tensions and sanctions. (With input from agencies)