Huawei launches sales of its new Pura 70 smartphone amid increased attention to chips

Chinese tech giant Huawei on Thursday began selling two models of its much-awaited high-end Pura 70 series of smartphones, which many analysts expect will feature a cutting-edge Chinese-made chip like the Mate 60 phone.

The Shenzhen-based company began selling Pura 70 series smartphones on Thursday morning. The Pura series features advanced cameras and is known for its sleek design, while the Mate series emphasizes professional performance and features.

The launch of Huawei’s Mate 60 series last year was hailed by state media as a triumph over US sanctions imposed on the company as the phones feature an advanced chip made in China.

Huawei’s latest smartphones have attracted attention because they are equipped with an advanced smartphone chip that, in terms of processing power, is just a few generations away from the advanced chips used by Western tech giants such as Apple and Google.

This week Huawei announced the sale of the Pura as part of a rebranding campaign, renaming it simply P.

The Pura 70 series has four variants: 70, 70 Plus, 70 Pro and 70 Ultra. The Pura 70 series will have a starting price of RMB 5,499 ($760.06).

The Pro and Ultra versions will go on sale on Thursday, while the Plus and Basic versions will go on sale from April 22. ($1 = 7.2350 Chinese yuan yuan) (Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Stephen Coates)