Huawei Mate 70 Series launches with Android-free HarmonyOS

For years, the mobile OS market has been dominated by Android and iOS. Now, Huawei is making a big move to change things by launching the Mate 70 series, the first smartphone to run entirely on its self-developed HarmonyOS Next.

The story behind this shift goes back to 2019, when US sanctions limited Huawei's access to Google Mobile Services (GMS), including the Play Store and Gmail. Facing a potential software crisis, Huawei hastened the development of HarmonyOS, which started as an Android-based platform.

While this independence gives Huawei more control over its software ecosystem, a key challenge lies in app availability. The company acknowledges this, stating its goal to reach 100,000 native HarmonyOS apps in 2025, according to Reuters. However, this figure is small when compared to the millions of apps available on the Play Store. Getting developers to build for the new platform will contribute considerably to its long-term success.

Interestingly, Huawei hasn't completely ditched Android yet. The Mate 70 series reportedly offers users a choice between HarmonyOS Next 5.0 and HarmonyOS 4.3, the latter still retaining some level of Android compatibility. This suggests a cautious approach, giving users time to adjust and developers more time to build a robust HarmonyOS app library.

The Mate 70 series includes four models: the base Mate 70, the Mate 70 Pro, the Mate 70 Pro Plus, and the premium Mate 70 RS. These devices have impressive specifications, including high refresh rate displays, powerful processors, and advanced camera systems. The base model, for instance, features a 6.7-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a 5,300mAh battery with 66W wired and 50W wireless charging, and a versatile camera arrangement that includes a 50MP main sensor, a 12MP telephoto lens, a 40MP ultrawide lens, and a 13MP front-facing camera.

The Pro and Pro Plus models offer even more advanced features, such as support for Wi-Fi 7, satellite communications, faster charging speeds, larger screens, and improved camera sensors. The Mate 70 RS, the series' peak, has all of the features of the Pro versions.