Huawei officially kicked off online sales for its latest flagship Mate 60 Pro on Sep. 3rd, marking a major step for the high-end smartphone to hit the mass domestic market as public expectations and demand for the device remain high. The move immediately triggered a buying spree among Chinese people, with long queues seen appearing at Huawei stores across major Chinese cities on the same day.

On the end of August, the Chinese tech giant, unexpectedly, announced the start of pre-orders for the smartphone, which industry analysts speculate is using a made-in-China 5G capable chipset. Huawei has been low key about the advanced chip, but observers believe the unexpected launch highlights the country's capability of conducting independent technological research and development despite US sanctions.

Huawei has not disclosed any technical details about the chip used in its new phone, and it is not immediately clear which company manufactured the chip for Huawei.Since 2019, the US government has restricted Huawei's access to chip-making tools essential for producing the most advanced mobile handset models. Dan Hutcheson, vice-chair of TechInsights, said the discovery shows the technical progress China's semiconductor industry has made despite US-led chip export controls.

Share prices of Chinese semiconductor companies surged on Sep. 6th as the chip breakthrough in Mate 60 Pro demonstrated the homegrown industry's resilience and innovation prowess amid restrictions by the United States government. Moreover, Powered by China's state-of-the-art Tiantong-1 communications satellite system, Mate 60 Pro has become world's first phone model with satellite calling feature, with observers hailing the development as helping tap into the full potential of China's space technology application for the mass consumer market.

Some industry analysts predicted the strong comeback of the Mate 60 series could mark a turning point for Huawei's smartphone businesses.

Consumers queue up to experience the new Huawei Mate 60 Pro on September 3, 2023, in Shanghai. Photo: VCG