Huawei’s Success Story: From US Sanctions to Domestic Market Dominance with HarmonyOS and Kirin Chips

Huawei has achieved significant milestones in its mobile phone business despite facing US trade restrictions. In June 2021, the company 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 challenges due to American restrictions.

Huawei’s revenue saw a 9.63 percent growth last year, and board member Ken Hu projected 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 Q1 2021, Huawei’s revenue increased by 37 percent to $24.7 billion (178.8 billion yuan), with profits nearly six times higher at $3.5 billion (24 billion yuan). Richard Yu announced plans to unveil HarmonyOS Next operating system and Mate 70 Pro successor later this year.

Huawei developed its own operating system, HarmonyOS, after being blocked from accessing Google’s Android due to US trade restrictions. The development of its own operating system was a strategic move that allowed Huawei to continue developing and selling smartphones without relying on Google’s services.

The Mate60 series is powered by Kirin 9000S chip produced by Chinese Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC), which marks Huawei’s return to the high-end smartphone market after facing challenges due to American restrictions.

Overall, these milestones indicate that Huawei is recovering from US trade restrictions and is regaining its position as a leader in the mobile phone industry with its own operating system and advanced technology solutions.

In conclusion, it is clear that Huawei has made significant progress since being hit with US trade restrictions