What would have happened if Huawei wasn’t drawn into the heat of geopolitical war? Global domination would likely have been on the cards!
Once considered the Apple of Asia’s eye (see what we did there?), China’s premier technology brand was on the verge of overtaking Apple as a world-dominant force until the US sanctions crippled Huawei beyond belief. As a result, Huawei had to cut off Honor to let its sub-brand survive in the global market (with all the latest technologies it had to offer). Simultaneously, it went on a mission to rebuild itself. The first signs of Huawei’s return to the forefront were finally visible at the Far Ahead event recently held in China.
Huawei was proud to showcase a slew of new products across different categories at its annual event and it was exciting, to say the least. From a couple of professional-grade tablets to two brand-new cars, Huawei’s event had more glitz than even Apple’s iPhone 15 event held a few weeks ago. At the same time, the brand kept mum on the controversial Mate 60 flagship phones even as US authorities and global media expected them to reveal how they got hold of 5G technology despite the ban. In fact, there was no conversation about the specifications of these smartphones. All we got was a design reveal for the Huawei Mate 60 RS Ultimate Design.
Keeping the controversy aside, Huawei unveiled a bunch of exciting products at the event, including a gold smartwatch, a new pair of smart glasses and two smart cars.
Far Ahead Event: Key highlights and the best Huawei products launched
Huawei Mate 60 RS Ultimate Design
The Huawei Mate 60 just got a more luxurious variant that focuses on design. Replacing the brand’s collaboration with Porsche Design, Huawei established Ultimate Design as its premium range. The Huawei Mate 60 RS Ultimate Design is the first offering in this line-up, sporting a revised new design on its back. Although Huawei didn’t reveal the specs, an official listing on Vmall.com confirms that it’s basically the Huawei Mate 60 Pro+ underneath. To that effect, key features include a Kirin 9000s 5G chipset, a 6.82-inch OLED display, a 5,000mAh battery and the same camera set-up including two 48-megapixel cameras and a third 40-megapixel ultrawide camera.
The phone is most likely to remain exclusive to the Chinese market.
Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2
Huawei’s answer to the cutting-edge Apple iPad Pro is the MatePad Pro 13.2. Weighing 580 grams and being 5.5 millimetres thick, Huawei touts this as the slimmest and lightest tablet in the world. It is based on the Kirin 9000s chipset and features a 13.2-inch OLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate as well as a 2.8K resolution. The device runs on Harmony OS 4.0, which is currently the latest operating system from Huawei. The rear cameras consist of a combination of a 13-megapixel main sensor and an 8-megapixel secondary sensor, whereas the front cameras consist of a 16-megapixel main camera and a secondary ToF sensor housed in the notch. The base model of the Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2 with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage costs 5,199 Yuan (approximately SGD 973).
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Huawei M-Pen (3rd generation)
The Huawei M-Pen is a third-generation stylus meant for the MatePad Pro tablet. It supports up to 10,000 levels of pressure sensitivity which basically translates to instant responsivness. Huawei says that the pen tip discharges the digital ink smoothly with a latency as low as 0 ms. Huawei is also using its proprietary NearLink technology for connectivity (it’s similar to Bluetooth).
Huawei smart magnetic keyboard
Huawei has also designed a new smart magnetic keyboard accessory for the tablet. This keyword comes equipped with a larger pressure-sensitive touchpad that supports multiple gestures.
Huawei Watch Ultimate Gold Edition
The Huawei Watch Ultimate Gold Edition is a luxurious smartwatch that is constructed out of 18K gold. All the key elements of the watch such as the bezel, rotating crown, PVD strap and butterfly buckle are made from 18K gold. The strap is also made of titanium.
The rest of the specs include a 1.5-inch LTPO OLED display with 450 x 450 pixels resolution and an adaptive refresh rate of 1Hz-60Hz. Huawei says that the 530mAh battery can make the watch last up to 14 days on normal usage and 8 days with heavy usage. The Chinese version comes with a two-way Beidou-supported satellite messaging feature that’s available just a click away. As part of the health and fitness features, the Huawei Watch Ultimate Gold Edition can monitor your heart rate, sleep cycle, vascular health, SpO2 and ECG.
The gold edition costs EUR 2,999 in Europe (approximately SGD 4,342).
Huawei Watch GT 4
The Huawei Watch GT 4 is Huawei’s answer to the Apple Watch Series 9.
Available in 41mm and 46mm sizes, the Watch GT 4 relies on the Harmony OS platform to offer a smart wearable experience. The smaller 41mm variant with a 1.3-inch AMOLED display has a feminine design whereas the 46mm variant with a 1.42-inch AMOLED display goes for a traditional and more masculine wristwatch design. The list of fitness monitoring features includes heart-rate monitoring, SpO2 sensor, sleep and stress tracking, menstrual cycle monitoring and atrial fibrillation tracking. A new fat-reducing and shaping app is present to help you shed those extra calories. Not to mention, it can also track over a hundred different sports activities. The Watch GT 4 also gets a mic and speaker system for taking calls from your smartphone via Bluetooth, while the NFC sensor allows users to make payments as well as unlock compatible car doors.
The Huawei Watch GT 4 starts at CNY 1,488 (approximately SGD 278).
Huawei Smart Glasses 2
The Huawei Smart Glasses 2 have been announced as a smart wearable with built-in speakers. Introduced in five designs, these smart spectacles feature a co-directional dual-diaphragm surging unit and an intelligent volume adjustment system that improves the speaker amplitude by 40 per cent and media playback volume by 30 per cent.
Prices for the Huawei Smart Glasses 2 start at CNY 1699 (approximately SGD 318).
Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3
The Huawei Freebuds Pro 3 are the newest and the most premium pair of TWS earbuds from the brand. They feature a Kirin A2 chip that supports 1.5Mbps lossless audio playback, beating Apple’s AirPods Pro 2nd Gen. A new ANC system is present to better suppress ambient noise and the QuiteCall 2.0 technology improves call noise reduction. Huawei says that battery stamina lasts up to 30 hours on a single charge (with the case included). The Huawei Freebuds Pro 3 come at a price of CNY 1,199 (approximately SGD 224).
New Huawei mobility products also revealed
Huawei Aito M9
Huawei’s flagship MPV will be wearing the Aito M9 badge and tackle luxurious offerings from BMW, Mercedes and Audi. The Aito M9 can seat up to seven people in utmost luxury and comfort. Most importantly, it features Huawei’s Harmony OS 4 cockpit system that employs a total of three displays for the in-car infotainment system. The Aito M9 will be available in all-electric trim featuring a dual-motor setup with AWD and as a range extender variant with a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine powering the dual motor setup.
Luxeed S7
Huawei’s second joint venture with Chery Automobile resulted in a luxurious brand called Luxeed and the S7 will be its first offering. The Luxeed S7 is said to beat the Tesla Model S in several aspects such as autonomous driving, self-parking and voice-activated controls. Based on Chery’s EoX platform, the car will feature a dual-motor drive unit. Most of the drivetrain and interiors are left for an official reveal in November but Luxeed has revealed the exteriors of the S7. The design is reminiscent of the Mercedes EQS sedan with its coupe-style profile and front fascia inspired by the Porsche Taycan sedan.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– Are Huawei’s product launch events open to the public?
Yes, Huawei’s product launch events are open to the public. It’s easier to watch them live in China but trickier for international audiences to watch or stream them.
– Can I buy Huawei products immediately after a product launch event?
Huawei usually reveals the first sale date of its products after announcing them at the launch events.
– How can I stay informed about upcoming Huawei product launch events?
You can always keep an eye on Huawei’s social media pages to keep an eye on all of their upcoming media announcements.
– Are Huawei smart products secure?
Huawei’s smart products have mostly been banned by several countries ever since the US imposed sanctions on account of security and privacy concerns.
{Hero and Featured Image Credits: Courtesy Huawei (edited by Augustman)}
