Huawei has been making waves this year, especially in the mobile phone market. Their surprise launch strategy in China, bypassing traditional launch events, has kept everyone on their toes. Now, rumors are swirling that the latest Pura70 series will not only be released in Hong Kong, but it might follow the same surprise launch pattern! I honestly didn’t see this coming! Here’s what we know so far.
**Near Full Lineup Launch, Including 70 Ultra?**
Reliable sources suggest that last year’s Mate60 series was limited to the Chinese market because Huawei’s leadership decided to focus on domestic sales for their flagship phones. They were concerned about potential supply shortages with the return of their own Kirin processor, so limiting the release made sense. However, Huawei seems to be brimming with confidence with the Pura70 series. Despite using the brand-new Kirin 9010 processor, supply in China appears to be even more plentiful than with the Mate60 series. This has apparently led them to reconsider launching their flagship phones internationally.
Word on the street is that Huawei plans to test the waters with Hong Kong and another Southeast Asian country for their international relaunch. And here in Hong Kong, it seems like they might release the entire Pura70 lineup – the Pura70, Pura70 Pro, and even the Pura70 Ultra! The only exception seems to be the Pura70 Pro+. Unlike the Chinese versions, the Hong Kong versions will reportedly use the EMUI operating system instead of HarmonyOS. So, it’s expected that these phones won’t have access to the Play Store, similar to previous Huawei phones released in Hong Kong. But, as usual, there will likely be workarounds (like MicroG) to access GMS services.
**No 5G? Maybe Not a Big Deal…**
There’s been some talk that even if the Pura70 series launches in Hong Kong, it might only support 4.5G networks like previous Huawei phones here, instead of the 5G-like “mystery G” network available in China. My sources say this is definitely a possibility. Apparently, the 5G functionality will be “sealed” at the factory level for the Hong Kong versions of the Huawei Pura70 series. This means they’ll be limited to 4.5G networks by default. However, there are whispers that this “seal” is only a software-level restriction. Theoretically, if someone figures out how to crack it, users might be able to access the 5G-like “mystery G” network just like in China. We’ll have to wait and see if this pans out once the phones are actually released here.
**Pre-orders This Week, Launch Mid-May?**
As for the launch date, sources say the Pura70, Pura70 Pro, and Pura70 Ultra will be available for pre-order at various retail outlets starting this Thursday, May 2nd. They’re expected to officially hit the shelves on May 21st, or possibly even earlier. There’s no word yet on pricing, but I hear it won’t be too different from the mainland China prices. There’s also a rumor that Huawei will sweeten the deal with freebies to offset any price differences: the Pura70 and Pura70 Pro will apparently come with free earphones, while the Pura70 Ultra might even come bundled with a tablet! Sounds pretty enticing, doesn’t it?
I remember just a few days ago, some local retailers started teasing what looked like the Pura70’s camera module on social media, hinting at the imminent arrival of the Huawei Pura70 series in Hong Kong. Seems like this rumor might be pretty solid after all.
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