The company jumped back into the premium smartphone market last year with its Mate 60 series, a launch celebrated by state media as a triumph over US sanctions on the firm.Speculation has built up in recent months that Huawei will soon launch the P70, which is expected to, like the Mate 60, contain an advanced China-made chip.
A product launch this week for a smart car model and laptop did not mention phones, disappointing legions of fans who complained online. But checks made by Reuters today at three Huawei stores in Beijing found that interested buyers could register to receive information about a phone without making a deposit.
"Huawei kills two birds with one stone," Will Wong, an analyst with research firm IDC, said of this tactic.