A generation behind, but still asking for premium prices
On May 9, 2023, Huawei extended its reach into European markets with two premium devices — the P60 Pro and the Mate X3 foldable — signaling that the Chinese manufacturer has not abandoned its global ambitions despite the technological constraints imposed by US trade restrictions. The launch is less a story about smartphones than about a company navigating geopolitical headwinds, asking consumers to weigh elegant engineering against the absence of familiar ecosystems. It is a quiet but deliberate act of persistence in a world where technology and politics have become inseparable.
- Huawei is asking European buyers to pay flagship prices — up to €2,199 — for hardware running a chip generation behind its direct competitors, a tension the company has not fully resolved.
- US export controls have severed Huawei's access to Google services and cutting-edge chipsets, forcing the company to ship HarmonyOS and a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 while rivals move on with Gen 2 silicon.
- The Mate X3 foldable, at just 11.8mm folded and rated IPX8, represents Huawei's clearest argument that its hardware engineering can still compete on its own terms.
- The P60 Pro went on sale immediately while the Mate X3 follows on May 22, a staggered rollout designed to build momentum in a market where Huawei must rebuild consumer trust.
- Huawei is betting that design distinction and camera ambition will be enough to draw European consumers willing to step outside the Google ecosystem — a wager whose outcome remains genuinely uncertain.
Huawei arrived in European markets on May 9 with two flagship devices — the P60 Pro and the Mate X3 foldable — priced at €1,199 and €2,199 respectively, planting its flag firmly in the premium segment despite the considerable constraints the company operates under.
The P60 Pro centers on a 6.67-inch 120Hz OLED display and Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, paired with up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. Its camera system leads with a 48-megapixel main sensor and a matching telephoto lens offering 3.5x optical zoom. The device runs HarmonyOS 3.1, Huawei's own Android alternative, built after US trade restrictions cut off access to Google services. A P60 Art variant adds a larger battery and an upgraded ultrawide camera for those seeking more.
The specification sheet, however, quietly tells the story of geopolitical consequence. The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is a full generation behind the chips powering Samsung and other 2023 flagships, and the absence of Google's ecosystem remains a fundamental hurdle for mainstream European adoption.
The Mate X3 is where Huawei's engineering ambitions speak most clearly. At just 11.8mm when folded, it is meaningfully slimmer than its predecessor, offering a 6.4-inch outer display and a 7.85-inch inner screen. An IPX8 water resistance rating across the entire device is a genuine technical achievement for a foldable. It shares the P60 Pro's processor and operating system, anchored by a 50-megapixel primary camera.
Huawei is asking European consumers to accept older silicon and an unfamiliar software world in exchange for distinctive hardware and a foldable form factor that stands apart. Whether that trade-off finds an audience willing to step outside the Google ecosystem is the real question this launch poses.
Huawei brought two of its flagship devices to European markets on May 9, marking another push by the Chinese manufacturer to establish itself outside its home territory. The P60 Pro and the Mate X3 foldable are now available for purchase, though at prices that position them squarely in the premium segment—the P60 Pro starts at €1,199 and £1,199, while the Mate X3 commands €2,199 and £1,999 in the UK.
The P60 Pro is built around a 6.67-inch OLED display running at 120Hz refresh rate, paired with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor. The device comes with 8 to 12 gigabytes of RAM and storage options ranging from 256 to 512 gigabytes. It runs HarmonyOS 3.1, Huawei's own Android alternative, developed after the company lost access to Google services due to US trade restrictions. The camera setup includes a 48-megapixel main sensor, a 48-megapixel telephoto lens with 3.5x optical zoom, and a 13-megapixel ultrawide camera. The front-facing camera is 13 megapixels. The phone charges at 88 watts and houses a 4,815 milliamp-hour battery. Users can expand storage via a NanoMemory card slot. Huawei also offers the P60 Art variant, which adds a larger battery and upgrades the ultrawide camera to 40 megapixels, and a standard P60 model with reduced charging speed and fewer camera options.
The specification sheet reveals the constraints Huawei operates under. The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is a generation behind what Samsung and other manufacturers are shipping in their 2023 flagships—those devices use the newer Gen 2 chip and faster UFS 4.0 storage technology. The absence of Google's ecosystem remains a fundamental limitation, though HarmonyOS represents Huawei's attempt to build a functional alternative.
The Mate X3 foldable is where Huawei's engineering ambitions become more apparent. The device measures just 11.8 millimeters thick when folded, a significant reduction from its predecessor. It features a 6.4-inch display on the outside and a 7.85-inch screen on the inside, giving users flexibility between a phone-like form factor and a tablet-sized workspace. The entire device carries an IPX8 rating, meaning it can withstand submersion in water and resist dust ingress. Like the P60 Pro, it runs the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 and HarmonyOS. The camera system is anchored by a 50-megapixel primary sensor, with additional lenses completing the setup.
The European launch represents a calculated expansion strategy. The P60 Pro became available immediately on May 9, while the Mate X3 will arrive on store shelves on May 22. These are not budget devices—the pricing places them in direct competition with Apple's iPhone 14 Pro and Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra. Yet Huawei is asking customers to accept older processor technology and an unfamiliar operating system in exchange for design choices and camera capabilities. The company is betting that its reputation for hardware engineering and the appeal of a genuinely different foldable form factor will resonate with European consumers willing to navigate the trade-offs that come with operating outside the Google ecosystem.
Notable Quotes
The device lags behind the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and UFS 4.0 storage found in 2023 flagships from competitors like Samsung— Technical specification comparison
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does Huawei keep launching flagships when it's locked out of the latest chips?
Because it still has customers, and because the gap between the 8+ Gen 1 and Gen 2 isn't insurmountable in real-world use. More importantly, it's a signal—Huawei is saying it's still here, still innovating, still competing.
But the pricing is aggressive. €1,199 for a phone with last-year's processor?
It's not about the processor alone. The P60 Pro's camera system and the Mate X3's thinness are genuine achievements. Huawei is selling design and capability, not just specs. And in Europe, there's less brand loyalty to Android versus iOS than there is in the US.
What about HarmonyOS? Can it actually replace Android?
It's functional, but it's not Android. Users lose Google Play, Gmail, Maps—the ecosystem that makes Android useful. Huawei built an alternative, but alternatives require users to accept friction. That's the real cost.
So why Europe specifically?
Europe has regulatory skepticism toward American tech dominance. There's also less penetration of the Google ecosystem than in the US. It's a market where Huawei can compete on hardware merit without fighting an entrenched ecosystem.
Is this sustainable?
Only if Huawei can either get access to better chips or convince people that what it's offering is worth the compromise. The Mate X3 pricing suggests confidence, but confidence and market reality don't always align.