Huawei sets June 11 launch date for Pura 80 series smartphones

Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies is launching its Pura 80 series smartphones on June 11.

The company made the announcement on its social media Weibo account, Reuters reported.

Huawei was once in competition with Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Samsung (OTCPK:SSNLF) to be the world’s biggest handset maker until U.S. restrictions, starting in 2019, began to curb its access to chip manufacturing tools needed to produce its most advanced models. However, in the past two years, the company has been making a comeback.

In August 2023, Huawei surprised many by quietly launching its new flagship smartphone, Mate 60 Pro. The chip inside the phone ignited concerns in the U.S. and raised questions about how it was possible, without the company being able to access critical technologies. Last year in April, Huawei unveiled its Pura 70 series, which features the Kirin 9010 chip, a follow-up to the Kirin 9000s reportedly made by Semiconductor Manufacturing International (OTCQX:SIUIF) for the Mate 60 Pro.

Apple’s iPhone sales in China have faced tough competition from Chinese rivals such as vivo and Huawei.

Huawei is also making advanced chips in an effort to challenge Nvidia (NVDA), which faces export curb rules on sale of advanced chips to China. In April, it was reported that Huawei intends to start mass shipments of its advanced 910C AI chip to Chinese customers soon.