Huawei confirms February 26 global launch for Mate 80 Pro
Huawei has confirmed a global launch event for its Mate 80 Pro smartphone on February 26. The launch underscores the company's continued ambition to maintain its presence in international markets. The event proceeds despite ongoing restrictions on the company's access to certain technologies in Western markets.
- The device is expected to feature the Kirin 9030 series processor and will run on HarmonyOS 6.0, which integrates Huawei's proprietary Pangu and DeepSeek AI models. - Its camera system includes a 50MP primary camera with gimbal OIS, a 48MP telephoto lens with 4x optical zoom, and a 40MP ultra-wide camera. The Mate 80 Pro will be powered by a 5750mAh battery, supporting 100W wired and 80W wireless charging. - This model follows the Mate 60 series, which was the first to offer two-way satellite calling and messaging supported by China's Tiantong and Beidou satellite systems. The Mate 80 Pro Max and RS Ultimate Design versions are expected to feature dual-satellite communication capabilities. - The launch comes as Huawei regained its position as the top smartphone manufacturer in mainland China for the full year of 2025, capturing a 16.4% market share with 46.7 million units shipped. - Huawei's HarmonyOS surpassed Apple's iOS to become the second-largest mobile operating system in China in the first half of 2025, achieving a 17% market share. The upcoming HarmonyOS NEXT version will no longer support Android-based applications. - The U.S. government placed Huawei on an entity list in 2019, restricting its access to U.S. technology and software for designing and manufacturing semiconductors. In May 2024, the U.S. revoked certain export licenses for suppliers shipping to Huawei. - The global event will also feature the launch of other ecosystem products, including the FreeBuds Pro 5 wireless earbuds and the WATCH GT Runner wearable.
