The Mate XT finally stepped foot outside the boundaries of China when Huawei officially announced that the world’s first commercially available tri-fold smartphone would launch in several countries. Given that the device is the first of its kind, the company has reportedly stamped an insanely high €3,499, or $3,660 price tag on it, meaning that the device is targeted to an extremely small percentage of consumers. Even if there are some users bold enough to make a purchase, analysts believe that one of the biggest hurdles for Huawei to get any traction in overseas markets is the lack of Google Play Services.
Ludicrous price is also another reason why customers will be discouraged from upgrading to the Huawei Mate XT
Europe and North America are markets that have grown accustomed to both iOS and Android. For the longest time, there has not been a third competitor that would disrupt the dominance of these two operating systems. Huawei intends to challenge that with its HarmonyOS NEXT platform, which is said to be developed completely in-house and does not rely on Google’s Android Open Source Project (AOSP).
Sadly, this OS lacks Google Play services that are pre-loaded in any Android smartphone and are used by millions worldwide. However, IDC analysts believe that there is another motive behind the Mate XT launch, and that is to encourage early adopters with deep pockets to make the upgrade rather than market the tri-fold smartphone to mainstream consumers.
Even if Mate XT sales are limited to 500,000 units, Huawei can generate an estimated $1.5 billion from the launch of a single product. The Mate XT’s launch outside of China is also a test for Huawei to reclaim its lost position, along with maintaining brand influence. Unfortunately, the U.S. government is on a mission to denounce the use of Chinese products, claiming that these devices carry a major security risk in any country.
It is unclear how well Huawei’s HarmonyOS NEXT will be adopted by the masses. Given that, for any app store to witness success, it requires a massive repository of applications. The former Chinese giant was previously said to be working with various partners to bring their solutions to HarmonyOS NEXT, but it will be an uphill battle to get consumers to make the shift.
News Source: DigiTimes
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
