GoKawiil
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HUAWEI has introduced the MatePad Air, a slimmer and more affordable alternative to its MatePad Pro Max lineup, priced from €849 for the configuration with an 8GB RAM, 256GB storage, PaperMatte display and M-Pencil Pro support. Like other HUAWEI devices, the tablet remains unavailable for official purchase in the United States and continues to lack Google Mobile Services due to the ongoing US trade restrictions.
Counterpoint Research reports that worldwide smartwatch shipments declined 4% year-over-year in the second quarter of 2026, as consumers kept existing devices longer rather than upgrading. Huawei topped the market in total shipments, while Apple posted the strongest growth rate among the five leading brands. Counterpoint projects only 1% shipment growth for the full year.
Huawei announced at its Huawei Connect conference that it will release its next-generation Ascend 960DT AI chip in the first quarter of 2027, six months earlier than the previously planned Q3 2027 date. The chip is part of Huawei's Peerium Computing Architecture, a system linking hundreds of thousands of accelerator cards via its UnifiedBus interconnect technology to build massive AI computing clusters for training and inference.
Apple unveiled its first foldable, the iPhone Duo, at $2,230 (15,999 yuan) in China, a price that triggered immediate pushback from consumers comparing it to their local incomes and to cheaper domestic rivals. Xiaomi and Huawei had just launched competing foldables days earlier, the Xiaomi 18 Fold at 10,999 yuan and Huawei's trifold Mate XT2 at 19,999 yuan, intensifying the price comparisons. Despite the mixed local reaction, Apple shares rose more than 3% after the launch event.
Apple's newly unveiled iPhone Duo enters a foldable market already crowded with Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo and Honor devices, arriving late with a passport-shaped design and a hinge system Apple says virtually eliminates the crease. Reviewers who tried it at Apple's event noted the crease is nearly invisible but still faintly detectable by touch, and features like IP68 water resistance and stylus support have already been offered by rival foldables.
Huawei is scheduled to face a US criminal trial on charges that it violated Iran sanctions and stole trade secrets from competitors. The proceedings are set to begin just weeks before a planned meeting between President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Counterpoint Research's Q2 2026 report found global smartwatch shipments fell 4% year over year, even as Apple, Huawei and Garmin posted gains. Apple grew 14% to capture a 20.1% share, trailing only Huawei's 21.8% share, with the Watch Series 11 and Watch SE 3 driving over 80% of Apple's volume. Huawei's growth was concentrated in China, which made up about 80% of its shipments.
Xiaomi released the Xiaomi 18 Fold and Huawei unveiled the Mate XT2 trifold this week, both timed just ahead of Apple's Wednesday event where the company is expected to reveal its first foldable iPhone under CEO John Ternus. Analysts say the Chinese manufacturers are trying to lock in buyers before Apple enters the foldable market.
Jury selection begins in a long-running federal case against Huawei Technologies, which faces charges including wire and bank fraud, trade secret theft, and violating U.S. sanctions on North Korea. Prosecutors also allege Huawei equipment helped Iran surveil protesters during 2009 demonstrations. Huawei has called the government's case 'demonstrably false' and previously sought to have it dismissed as vague and overreaching.
Apple is expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone alongside its iPhone 18 Pro models, arriving seven years after Samsung's original Galaxy Fold. Reports suggest the device will use a short, wide, passport-like design, a shape that Samsung, Huawei, and Xiaomi have all released in recent months despite Apple not having launched or even officially teased its version yet.
Xiaomi unveiled the 18 Fold, its first book-style foldable since the 2024 Mix Fold 4, adopting the short, wide form factor now favored by Huawei and Samsung. Its inner and outer screens share a roughly 1.4:1 aspect ratio, making it both shorter and wider than the Galaxy Z Fold 8, with hardware specs that reportedly surpass Samsung's device. However, it lacks any announced IP water/dust resistance rating and is slightly heavier and thicker than its rival.
Huawei has unveiled the Mate XT 2, an updated version of its trifold smartphone that refines the original design and borrows some interface and hardware ideas from Samsung's foldable devices. The device carries a price tag exceeding $3,000, positioning it firmly in the ultra-premium tier of the smartphone market.