SHENZHEN, CHINA – On October 3, 2026, Huawei hosted an international media roundtable led by Richard Yu, who is the Executive Director, Chairman of the Investment Review Board, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Consumer Business Group (BG). During the event, Yu provided insights into Huawei’s consumer business strategies and the HarmonyOS ecosystem.
Yu, who joined Huawei in 1993, has been instrumental in the company’s development of wireless communications and has guided the consumer business for over a decade. He discussed Huawei’s long-term vision of delivering a seamless artificial intelligence (AI) life experience across five key areas: Smart Travel, HarmonyOS Office, Smart Home, Fitness & Health, and Entertainment.
Huawei has heavily invested in research and development (R&D), committing over CNY 1.8 trillion between 2007 and 2025. The company’s investment in R&D has grown from about 10% of annual revenue to over 20%, fostering advancements in core technologies within the information and communications technology (ICT) sector and leading to a robust patent portfolio.
The recently launched Mate 90 series smartphones feature Huawei’s new Kirin 9050 Pro chip, which delivers a 31% performance improvement over its predecessor. This new chip, designed internally, includes critical components such as the Balong modem and an image sensor processor, all contributing to enhanced energy efficiency and system performance.
Despite facing restrictions in accessing advanced semiconductor processes, Huawei has identified growth in the semiconductor field with the introduction of LogicFolding technology. This approach, unveiled by He Tingbo, head of Huawei’s Semiconductor Business Department, allows for vertical stacking of chip logic layers to reduce latency and enhance AI capabilities. The Kirin 9050 Pro chip utilizes this technology, successfully enabling on-device AI model processing.
In the AI sector, Yu highlighted Huawei’s efforts to leverage large AI models like openPangu for intelligent driving and the HarmonyOS-based personal assistant, Celia. The company is employing AI to enhance the operation and maintenance of its communications infrastructure, aiming to increase productivity globally.
HarmonyOS, developed since 2019, now powers over 90 million devices, including smartphones and tablets, with projections to reach 100 million by year’s end. The HarmonyOS ecosystem boasts over 450,000 applications and 11 million registered developers, contributing to Huawei’s strategy to gradually expand its global market presence.
Yu addressed Huawei’s challenges since 2019, including the need to establish a self-reliant supply chain. He noted that Huawei has resumed domestic chip manufacturing for smartphones. Although the company’s global smartphone sales have significantly declined from its peak, Yu indicated Huawei’s intent to methodically re-enter international markets.
In wearables, Huawei maintains a leading market share both in China and globally, while its HarmonyOS tablets are performing well despite earlier setbacks due to lost access to Windows and Intel technology. Yu mentioned that Huawei’s mobile routers are helping expand connectivity in rural areas, improving access for underserved populations.
During the discussion, Yu confirmed that more smartphones will incorporate the LogicFolding chip technology in the future. While acknowledging challenges with semiconductor production capacity, he expressed optimism about the future of chip manufacturing in China.
For further details from the Q&A session, please follow this link: Huawei Q&A.
