Chongqing - Top-tier manufacturers Huawei and Apple are set to fire the rivalry over their newest flagships, with both smartphone giants unveiling their next-generation series within a week or two.

Huawei introduced the Mate 60, whose pinnacle model is the Mate 60 Pro. On the other hand, Apple debuted the iPhone 15, with its advanced iPhone 15 Pro grabbing significant attention.

Apple and Huawei storefronts are face-to-face here

Apple and Huawei storefronts face each other at Chongqing’s central plaza of Paradise Walk in Guanyinqiao. On September 14, a Bridging News reporter entered the two stores and discovered Apple's store had slightly more customers. Just ten days ago, young Chinese customers queued in front of the same Huawei store to buy the newest Mate 60 Pro.

The Apple Store at Guanyinqiao Paradise Walk in Chongqing. (Photo/Kenny Dong)

The Huawei store at Guanyinqiao Paradise Walk in Chongqing. (Photo/Kenny Dong)

Mr. Gao, a Fujian resident visiting his family in Chongqing, intended to try Huawei’s Mate 60 Pro at the Guanyinqiao Paradise Walk store. “The new 5G chipset and satellite communication tech is quite impressive, and I firmly support our national brands,” he said. 

Huawei’s Mate 60 Pro is displayed at its Guanyinqiao Paradise Walk store. (Photo/Kenny Dong)

Meanwhile, Tan Qilong, a Chinese customer, walked into the Apple Store at Guanyinqiao Paradise Walk and was informed that he would have to wait another week to experience the iPhone 15 firsthand. “I am an Apple fan through and through,” Tan said.

Expert: The Mate 60 would outcompete the iPhone 15

Although competition is standard in the high-end phone market, this year’s face-off between Huawei and Apple is particularly enthralling, especially considering the technological upgrades.

Huawei’s Mate 60 Pro boasts the Kirin 9000s chip with 5G capability, marking its return to the 5G race after a two-year hiatus. Previously, Huawei’s 5G chip, Kirin 9000, was manufactured by TSMC. This collaboration ended after the U.S. placed Huawei on its entity list in 2021. Though Huawei hasn’t revealed its new chip supplier, speculation over different parties suggests a Chinese mainland origin.

Many Chinese customers hail Huawei’s 5G reintroduction as a breakthrough against U.S. tech restrictions, while some discussions juxtapose the iPhone 15 as a routine update in contrast to Huawei’s Mate 60. 

One user on Zhihu, netizens' largest Chinese Q&A platform, commented, “For Apple, it’s just another product. For Huawei, it’s a marvel.” This sentiment has garnered over 2,400 likes since the post was released on August 31.

One, nicknamed “Anhaoxin,” praised Huawei through Zhihu on August 31. (Photo/Zhihu)

Xiang Ligang, a veteran observer of China’s telecom industry, said, “The Mate 60 Pro might just be the most powerful phone in the world right now. Apple still has the superior chip, but when it comes to the overall user experience, especially in areas like battery life and communication, Huawei has surpassed Apple.” 

Xiang estimated that the Mate 60 series would outcompete the iPhone 15 in the smartphone market.

On the contrary, Tan believes that an advanced ecosystem will not be easily overtaken, responding to whether Apple’s technical updates are lacking in intensity.

Due to production and logistics constraints, most of Huawei’s new phone buyers haven’t yet received their devices, while Apple will start pre-orders for the iPhone 15 at 8 p.m. on September 15, with deliveries expected a week later. Reviews might evolve as more consumers get hands-on experience.

According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), Apple held 67.0% of China’s high-end smartphone market for the first half of the year, while Huawei trails at 15.6%, ranking second.