Huawei and Xiaomi step up premium phone rivalry against Apple in China

Apple’s iPhone Air, which was teased as the brand’s “lightest flagship ever,” restarted a resurgence of ultra-thin “Air” models, with its extreme slimness and lightness as selling points. However, it has faced backlash due to compromises like the sub-4,000mAh battery and heat issues during heavy use. 

Despite the perceived limitations, Apple sold out rapidly in China. However, the new campaign has created an opening for Apple’s Chinese rivals, like Huawei and Xiaomi who have released models directly targeting the iPhone Air. 

Huawei’s new release is its response to the Iphone Air

Huawei Technologies Co. responded to Apple Inc.’s iPhone Air by adding a thin new handset to its lineup, which it is calling the new Huawei Mate 70 Air. The device measures 6.6mm thick and costs 4,199 yuan ($590), and while those features mean it is significantly cheaper than Apple’s $999 iPhone Air, it does not make it thinner. 

Still, for its thinness, Huawei’s Air handset has been found to make fewer sacrifices than Apple’s ultrathin phone. The Mate 70 Air comes with a 7-inch display, stereo speakers and a large 6,500mAh battery. 

Apple introduced the Air branding to its smartphone lineup this fall alongside its iPhone 17 generation and Huawei launching the Mate 70 Air emphasizes its desire to openly challenge Apple by adopting the same moniker.

The action aligns with the general sentiment among China’s smartphone makers who have shown a strong desire to confront Apple this year. Xiaomi Corp. has also moved up the release of its latest flagship lineup and rebranded it to match Apple. 

Analysts even claim that the Xiaomi 17 and 17 Pro series gives users better specs even though it costs less money than Apple. Despite the overt moves, Apple’s latest devices have continued to beat the company’s prior generation in China this year, a fact analysts believe could be the trigger behind its competitors offering up fresh alternatives.

Huawei has taken its time unlike other local chinese phone makers who rushed devices out last month in an attempt to frontrun Apple’s new release. In fact, rather than attempt to take on Apple’s new top-tier device, its Mate 70 Air focuses more on the more design-conscious demographic that the iPhone Air is expected to target.

The company’s new phone is currently available to pre-order in China via the company’s online store, but deliveries don’t start until November 11.

Xiaomi ramps up investments in research and development 

Xiaomi’s desire to surpass Apple may be even more personal than Huawei’s. The company’s President Lu Weibing intimated as much when he talked about the company’s strategy in a post on Weibo. 

“We started our premiumization strategy five years ago to learn from our greatest competitor, benchmarking ourselves against the iPhone. Apple is still outstanding but we are highly confident we can face the challenge with the same generation of product,” Weibing said.

According to Weibing’s statement from September, Xiaomi has invested over 100 billion yuan in research and development over the last five years, a value that is expected to increase to 200 billion yuan in the next five years.

Bryan Ma, an analyst at IDC, has highlighted that skipping straight to the 17 series is proof that Xiaomi is confident enough in its capabilities to publicly say its devices are as good as Apple’s, a comparison that many do not joke with in China. Ma also noted that in the first half of 2025, 10% of Xiaomi smartphone shipments in China were priced above $600, compared to almost none in 2019. 

Ma claims this underscores Xiaomi’s determination to make a name for itself in the premium smartphone segment, where profits are known to be higher compared to the general segment and where Apple has dominated sales for a long time. 

While Apple’s dominance remains unshakable worldwide, this ambition from Xiaomi and Huawei may pose a direct challenge to its market in China, which just happens to be one of its largest markets. 

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