Huawei thrives: Massive growth and new star announced in 2021

Huawei’s HarmonyOS mobile operating system now has 900 million active users, according to consumer electronics chief Richard Yu. This milestone indicates that the Chinese tech giant is recovering from US trade restrictions, with a significant increase in mobile phone sales since the beginning of the year. Huawei developed its own operating system in response to American sanctions that blocked its access to Google’s Android.

In June 2021, Huawei officially presented HarmonyOS to the public, followed by the release of the Mate60 series of mobile phones in August last year. These phones are believed to be equipped with chips developed in China, marking Huawei’s return to the mobile phone market in a higher price category after facing challenges due to American restrictions. Testing by TechInsights revealed that the Mate60 is powered by the new Kirin 9000S chip, produced by the Chinese Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC).

Huawei’s revenue saw a 9.63 percent growth last year, with board member Ken Hu projecting significantly higher revenue in 2024, emphasizing the company’s recovery in the mobile phone business. In early 2024, Huawei reclaimed the top spot in the domestic mobile phone market, surpassing Apple, according to a Counterpoint report. Sales of new Huawei cell phones surged by 72 percent in the first five months of this year compared to the same period last year, highlighting the company’s continued success.

In the first quarter of the year, Huawei’s revenue increased by 37 percent to 178.8 billion yuan ($24.7 billion), with profits nearly six times higher at 19.6 billion yuan. Yu also announced plans to unveil the Mate 70, the successor to the Mate 60 Pro, with the HarmonyOS Next operating system by the end of the year.