Huawei launches 1st 5G mobile phone for commercial use

SHENZHEN -- Huawei on Friday launched its first 5G mobile phone for commercial use in Shenzhen, home to its headquarters, as the telecom giant seeks to usher in the fast-speed 5G mobile world.

He Gang, head of Huawei's mobile phone division, said at the launching ceremony that Huawei Mate 20 X (5G) gained China's first 5G network access license.

The smartphone, powered by the Balong 5000, Huawei's first 7nm multi-code 5G chipset with the Kirin 980, is currently the world's only dual-mode 5G cellphone that supports standalone/non-standalone (SA/NSA) simultaneously, He said.

Huawei started taking orders for the handset, which is priced at 6,199 yuan (about $898), on Friday afternoon. The phone will hit the market on Aug 16.

On Friday, Huawei said its smart screens equipped with its own Hongmeng OS will hit the market soon as it seeks to enter the TV business.

The smart screens can connect multiple devices, even from multiple brands and also become a control center for smart home systems, said Yu Chengdong, chief executive officer of Huawei's consumer business.