Huawei, Apple simultaneous debuts draw global attention

Since releasing its Mate 60 Pro smartphone series last August, Huawei has outpaced Apple in the Chinese market, according to a report from Quartz, an American business news website.

NEW YORK, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Apple and Huawei launched their new models almost at once earlier this week, drawing wide discussion about the innovations behind the two tech giants.

Huawei launched the world's first commercial tri-fold smartphone, the Mate XT, on Tuesday, with several technological breakthroughs such as a dual-hinge system and screen-bending features.

Huawei's new release came just hours after the launch of Apple's iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, both built for Apple Intelligence. The iPhone 16 lineup's camera system features a 48MP Fusion camera with a 2x Telephoto option, while a new Ultra-Wide camera enables macro photography.

The two company's debuts commanded attention and discussions among media reports, experts, and consumers.

In an article titled "Apple's China rival Huawei just upstaged the iPhone 16 launch," AOL, an American online service provider company, reported that Apple is used to being the main act in the smartphone world each Fall when the tech giant launches its latest iPhones. "This year, however, one of its top rivals in China has tried to rewrite the script."

"It shows how confident Huawei is in taking on Apple in the smartphone game as the Silicon Valley firm faces a tricky period in its most important international market," it said.

Jamie MacEwan, senior research analyst at Enders Analysis, told Business Insider that despite the "eye-catching" Mate XT targeting a fairly small niche at the very top of the price range, it is a sign of "the return in force of Huawei."

"The close timing of Huawei and Apple's product launches signals the start of a new competitive wave in the Chinese premium market," Amber Liu, a research manager at market research firm Canalys, told CNN. Key areas of competition will include high-end products, software capabilities, and AI deployment, she added.

Liu said Huawei's rapid recovery "directly challenges" Apple's performance in China, its second-largest market which accounts for over 20 percent of its global shipments.

It also comes after Chinese smartphone makers dominated the top five spots domestically quarterly for the first time, she said, pushing Apple to sixth place.

Since releasing its Mate 60 Pro smartphone series last August, Huawei has outpaced Apple in the Chinese market, according to a report from Quartz, an American business news website.

In April, Huawei reported a rise in profit for the fourth consecutive quarter, showing resilience against U.S. sanctions. Meanwhile, Apple's iPhone sales fell 19 percent over the same period -- its worst performance in China since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, said the report.

Apple's share of China's smartphone market also fell year-over-year in the first quarter of 2024 from 19.7 percent to 15.7 percent. According to the report, the company has had to cut prices on some iPhone models in the Chinese market as competition grows with Huawei and other homegrown smartphone makers.

Apple's smartphone shipments in China fell by 6.7 percent in the second quarter of this year, according to data from Canalys.

As Washington barred companies like Google from providing Huawei with its Android OS, some analysts projected the ban would cripple the Chinese tech giant's smartphone ambitions and competitiveness.

"Now, the company (Huawei) is once again making its way back to the top. It's also venturing into new businesses," said a CNN report.

Apple's new iPhone 16 failed to excite investors with long-expected artificial intelligence (AI) features still in test mode even as an industry-first tri-fold phone from Huawei raised the stakes in a battle to dominate the global smartphone market, said a Reuters report.

The rise of foldable smartphones reflects a growing consumer demand for more flexible and innovative form factors, said analysts. In the coming years, foldable smartphones are likely to become more mainstream, potentially reducing the cost barrier and driving higher adoption rates across global markets.

"As screen technology advances and consumer expectations evolve, devices like the Mate XT showcase the future of mobile design -- where functionality and aesthetics converge," said a report on technology.org, a science and technology news website.

AI integration is another key trend shaping the future of mobile technology. From image editing to real-time translations, AI is becoming a core differentiator in smartphones.

"The Mate XT's advanced AI features illustrate the growing importance of artificial intelligence in everyday devices, both for enhancing user experience and also for transforming how we interact with technology," said the tech news website. ■