Seize Double 11 business opportunities, Chinese brand flagship mobile phone war begins

Huawei’s new smartphone, the Mate 70, is set to launch soon, and major Chinese brands like OPPO and Vivo have already unveiled their new devices. Honor and Xiaomi are also preparing to introduce their latest smartphones, signaling the beginning of a fierce competition among flagship models this year.

According to a report by Financial Associated Press, Huawei’s Mate 70, viewed as the main competitor to Apple’s iPhone 16, is expected to hit the market by the end of October or early November. This device will feature the pure HarmonyOS. Other leading Chinese smartphone brands, including Vivo, OPPO, Honor, and Xiaomi, are also planning to release their flagship models in the same timeframe.

Insiders have revealed that the “Native Harmony Night” event and Huawei’s full-scenario product launch will take place on October 22. At this event, Huawei will showcase the mid-range nova 13 series along with its native HarmonyOS, while the high-end Mate 70 series is tentatively scheduled for a November release.

The fourth quarter has traditionally been a peak sales season for the smartphone industry, as brands aim to launch their products ahead of the “Double 11” shopping festival to maximize sales during this high-demand period. Vivo, for instance, announced its X200 smartphone on October 14, claiming that its first-day pre-sales exceeded those of the previous generation by 1.5 times, with the Pro version priced starting at 5,299 yuan (approximately $744.4) achieving double the pre-sales of its predecessor.

OPPO revealed the design of its Find X8 series on October 16, officially kicking off reservations for the device, which will be launched on October 24.

Honor’s next-generation flagship, the Magic7 series, is set for its official unveiling on October 30, featuring the new MagicOS 9.0.

Xiaomi’s 15 smartphone is anticipated to be announced by the end of October 2024. This speculation is bolstered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Summit taking place from October 21 to 23 in Hawaii, where the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen4 processor will be unveiled. Given that Xiaomi often adopts Qualcomm’s latest chips early, the Mi 15 could very well debut at or shortly after the summit.

All indications suggest that AI functionality will be a significant highlight across flagship devices. For example, Vivo has showcased its “PhoneGPT” smart assistant, while Honor’s Magic7 series will feature an AI Agent, aiming to expand market share through these advanced features.

Honor’s CEO, Zhao Ming, emphasized that the Magic7 will deliver a leading AI experience in the industry. While many companies are rushing to integrate AI features, even giants like Apple face limitations with their AI tech, which currently only collaborates with their own applications and hasn’t yet achieved compatibility with third-party apps.

Zhao stated that Honor’s AI capabilities surpass those of Apple, with the Magic7’s system not just able to interpret screen content but also adapt to user habits, effectively simulating human-like interactions for a personalized experience. He believes that this level of AI functionality will be challenging for other brands to match in the near future.