Huawei has new car and PC, but P70 phone fans miss out

Tech giant fixes supply issues with Luxeed S7 EV, which is fitted with advanced driver assistance

Huawei Technologies launched its revamped Luxeed S7 electric sedan, co-developed with Chinese carmaker Chery Auto, and a new personal computer (PC) with built-in artificial intelligence (AI) support at its latest event yesterday, but there was no mention of the highly anticipated P70 smartphone.

The new Luxeed S7, the first version of which launched in November and has faced shipping delays, includes Huawei’s selfdeveloped advanced driver assistance system.

After solving supply shortages and relocating its factory, the firm would start mass shipments of the car, Richard Yu Chengdong, chairman of Huawei’s intelligent automotive solution business unit and chief executive of the consumer business group, said at the event.

Yu also revealed the firm’s Aito brand, co-developed with carmaker Seres, had received 174,000 orders for its M7 sport utility vehicle in the seven months since its launch.

Huawei’s foray into electric vehicles (EVs) is one of multiple directions the telecoms gear maker has explored to diversify revenue amid US sanctions. But it faces cutthroat competition from US-based Tesla and domestic rivals in the China market.

The entrance of another big Chinese brand further complicates the market. Xiaomi, Huawei’s smartphone rival, recently started taking orders for its maiden EV, the SU7, which turbocharged an ongoing discount war with a starting price tag of 215,900 yuan (HK$233,730).

Huawei also unveiled a new Matebook X Pro, the company’s first PC to ship with its homegrown Pangu AI model. The device integrates models from other Chinese partners as well, including Baidu’s Ernie and iFlytek’s Spark.

The PC runs on the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H, part of the US chip giant’s latest generation of processors that include a neural processing unit for AI functionality.

Huawei fans had been expecting an announcement for the P70 series since rumours spread online last week. The firm did not respond to a request for comment on the phone’s status yesterday.

Interest in the P70 is high as it would be Huawei’s biggest flagship handset launch since the Mate 60 Pro, which captured global attention for using Chinamade semiconductors.

The 7-nanometre Kirin 9000S was reportedly made by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation despite US export curbs to limit China’s chipmaking capabilities.

The Shenzhen-based firm has traditionally unveiled flagship gadgets at its spring and autumn launches. But last August, it quietly released its first 5G handset in three years without advance notice. The firm did not introduce the Mate 60 at later events either, maintaining strict silence on the origin of its chipset.

The phone helped Huawei reclaim the No 1 spot in the domestic market in the first two weeks of this year, according to research firm Counterpoint.