(Yicai) Nov. 27 -- All of Huawei Technologies’ new smartphones and tablets will use its self-developed operating system from next year, the Chinese tech colossus said when launching its latest flagship handset and its first premium car co-developed with JAC Motors.

Huawei's development of HarmonyOS and its integration across devices reflect the Shenzhen-based company’s pivot away from reliance on US technology after US restrictions cut it off from Google’s Android ecosystem and access to key chips.

At a live-streamed event yesterday, Huawei launched the HarmonyOS-powered Mate 70 series, priced from CNY5,499 (USD760), including the Mate 70 RS Porsche Design for CNY11,999 (USD1,650).

The lineup features a high-brightness titanium mid-frame and Huawei's proprietary True-Colour imaging tech, with enhanced artificial intelligence capabilities and the world's first satellite paging function. The “most powerful” Mate ever is how Richard Yu, executive director and chairman of Huawei’s consumer business group, described the new series.

Huawei may ship 3.2 million to 3.5 million Mate 70s this year, according to Guoyuan Securities, while Counterpoint analyst Archie Zhang predicts total lifecycle shipments of over 10 million. The Mate 60 series, launched in early September last year, had sold more than 14 million units as of mid-November this year, far outstripping expectations.

Huawei also revealed its bold foray into the premium auto market at the event by unveiling the Maextro S800, a luxury sedan priced at CNY1 million to CNY1.5 million (USD137,800 and USD206,700). The car is 5.48 meters long and has a 3.37-m wheelbase.

The S800, which aims to compete with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series, and Audi A8L, will be the first model based on Huawei's second-generation Tuling Intelligent Chassis, integrating smart driving, smart cockpit, and smart domain control capabilities in line with Level-3 autonomous driving.

Huawei's goal is to become the leader in China's premium car market with its HarmonyOS-powered smart driving solutions, said Yu, who also heads up the firm's intelligent automotive solutions business group. The S800 is now available for pre-order with a mandatory CNY20,000 (USD2,760) deposit, he said.

Huawei works with carmakers based on three approaches: vertical parts supplier, intelligent systems provider through the Huawei Inside partnership model, and full-set solutions provider via the Huawei Smart Selection business model.

The Smart Selection model has been the most successful so far. The automakers cooperating with Huawei through this avenue are BAIC Group, Chery Automobile, JAC, and Seres Group.

At the same event yesterday, Huawei also unveiled the new S9 under the Stelato brand co-developed with Seres and the S7 under the Luxeed partnership with BAIC. The S7 Pro is a pure electric mid-to-large-size sedan with a range of 705 kilometers, priced from CNY229,800 (USD31,700).

Editor: Futura Costaglione