Huawei announced three new models in its Nova 12 (mid-range) series on Tuesday, without revealing processor details, including the base Nova 12, Nova 12 Ultra, and Nova 12 Pro, with prices starting at $420.
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With the industry's attention remaining on its innovation in the mobile phone sector following the surprise launch of the 5G Mate 60 Pro earlier this year, the Nova 12 series will run on the latest version of Huawei's operating system, HarmonyOS 4.
The company is promoting satellite connectivity on the two high-end models. However, Huawei kept quiet about the processors used to power the new series and the 5G capabilities during the launch event.
Huawei's official website showed that the models sold out within an hour of being available for online pre-orders, on the same day as the product launch.
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Huawei's latest smartphone moves have been closely watched after the surprise launch of the Mate 60 Pro in August, which is powered by Huawei's advanced Kirin 9000s processor. This was Huawei's first 5G smartphone after the United States embargo denied it access to advanced American technology.
The Mate 60 Pro inspired a wave of patriotic enthusiasm among Chinese consumers. An estimate from research firm Canalys put shipments of the Mate 60 series at 2.5 million units as of November 7, with the premium Mate 60 Pro accounting for more than 60% of the volume.
The new Nova smartphones are expected to intensify competition in the China market, which has become fierce after Huawei's Mate 60 Pro and the launch of the iPhone 15 in September, followed by Xiaomi's flagship Mi 14 that sold 1 million units in less than two weeks since its launch in October.
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China's smartphone industry has suffered in recent years due to weak consumer demand due to macroeconomic difficulties and fluctuations caused by the coronavirus pandemic. However, it showed signs of recovery in the last quarter of 2023 thanks to excitement around the Mate 60 series and promotions during the November shopping festival, according to a report published by IDC this month.
The country is likely to see a surge in smartphone shipments in the fourth quarter, according to a report by IDC. The world's largest smartphone market is expected to ship 287 million units in 2024, up 3.6% year-on-year, driven by a slightly improving economy and consumers' desire for better gadgets, according to IDC. It would be the first year-on-year increase in the market since 2021.
Source: scmp.com
