In short: Huawei mocked Apple for what it perceives is a general lack of innovation immediately after the Cupertino-based technology giant announced its 2018 iPhone models on Wednesday. “Thank you for keeping things the same,” the company said jokingly in a tweet, reiterating that its next product launch event is taking place on October 16 in London, which is when the Mate 20 series of Android flagships is expected to be announced and become available for pre-orders.
Background: Huawei surpassed Apple by device shipments for the first time ever in the second quarter of the year and could maintain that performance over the current three-month period as well. It’s unlikely to keep the title of the second-largest smartphone vendor in the world for the full year as the three newly launched iPhones are widely expected to sell tens of millions of units. Huawei has been poking fun at Apple for several years now, having adopted that behavior from Samsung whose marketing unit often mocks the iPhone maker and compares the shortcomings of its products to its own smartphones. Huawei has been at the forefront of mobile innovation over the course of this year, primarily due to the inclusion of a triple-camera setup on the back of the P20 Pro, with a similar system being expected to be found on at least one member of the upcoming Mate 20 family.
The impact: In a year that saw most major handset manufacturers deliver incremental upgrades on their 2017 products, Huawei went all-in with on-device artificial intelligence and unprecedented mobile cameras, trying to differentiate its products from those of its rivals on as many fronts as possible. That strategy has been working so far, with the company’s marketing now becoming bolder. As the mid-October debut of the Mate 20 line grows near, Huawei is likely to double down on its efforts to highlight how its competitors haven’t been doing much in terms of consumer-facing innovation over the course of this year, trying to position its upcoming Android flagships as the ultimate 2018 smartphones.
Thank you for keeping things the same. See you in London. 16.10.18 #HigherIntelligence#HUAWEIMate20pic.twitter.com/ZhZHj9Xg3s
— Huawei Mobile (@HuaweiMobile) September 12, 2018