Beijing: China’s Huawei Technologies on Friday started presales for its Mate 60 Pro plus smartphone, adding a new version to a series that has captured global attention for revealing the Chinese tech firm’s success in beating back against U.S. sanctions. With no prior advertising, as it did for the launch of the flagship Mate 60 Pro smartphone last week, the company announced on its official online store that it would start taking orders for the phone from 10:08 a.m. (0208 GMT) with delivery by Oct. 9. It did not release its price.
The new Mate 60 Pro+ is the first mainstream Huawei phone to support satellite calls for users in areas without network signals, a feature critical to China’s drive to create a nationwide 5G service. Speed tests shared by buyers on social media have suggested that it can download speeds exceeding those of top-line 5G phones. Tech experts in both the East and the West have hailed the device as a landmark, showing that Beijing’s effort to develop chipmaking capabilities to bypass U.S. restrictions has paid off.
But there are still plenty of questions about the new Mate. For one, whether the Pro+ is a 4G or 5G phone needs to be clarified. Its status is further clouded by the fact that Huawei’s website only lists the Mate 60 Pro as a “4G model,” with no mention of a 5G variant. The company also doesn’t mention a separate 5G chip in its technical specs for the phone.
On the other hand, the phone does have a dual-band LTE modem with a maximum download speed of 1.4Gbps and an upload speed of 2Mbps. That should be enough for most users, but some might need more power for streaming or gaming. The phone has 12 G.B. of RAM and offers 256GB, 512GB, and 1 T.B. of internal storage, as well as a 5,000mAh battery that supports USB-C 88W wired super-fast charging, 50W wireless super-fast charging and 20W reverse wireless charging.
The phone is also designed to operate in China’s fifth-generation (5G) mobile communications network, which is expected to be launched later this year. The Mate 60 Pro+ is also designed to support the country’s new national security policy, which envisions it as a critical instrument of state security and economic development. China’s Xinhua news agency reported earlier this month that the phone’s software has been updated to meet the country’s cybersecurity requirements. The move could help Huawei fend off pressure from the United States to change how it makes its smartphones sold in many countries. The U.S. has previously criticized the Chinese company for not adhering to the country’s cybersecurity requirements. Huawei has denied that claim. (Reporting by John Lee and Xiaoyu Wang; Editing by Ken Ferris)