HUAWEI Technologies Co. showcased a series of new products from a gold smartwatch to a smart car at a grand event of its new consumer products Monday. The event, held in a stadium in Shenzhen and watched by millions online, became the most discussed topic on Chinese social network Weibo, racking up six billion views and 1.6 million posts. Yu Chengdong, CEO of Huawei’s consumer business group, demonstrated a number of new products, starting with the latest version of its MatePad Pro, describing it as the lightest and thinnest tablet of its kind in the world. He said the device had been 10 years in the making. In addition, the firm unveiled a new smart TV, wireless earphones and other gadgets. The Shenzhen-based company also said it would release its first sedan, the Luxeed S7, in November. The car will surpass Tesla’s Model S “in every specification,” said Yu. The company plans to release the Aito M9, an SUV, in December. Huawei has partnered with domestic automakers to produce the two previously announced electric vehicles. Broadcast live across Huawei stores, 156 domestic media and social media platforms, Monday’s product launch event garnered a big audience, with dozens of shoppers at Huawei’s flagship store in Beijing breaking into applause after watching Yu step on to the stage. Yu also announced Huawei was “ready to launch” an updated operating system, HarmonyOS NEXT. The system will include “native applications,” Yu said, without elaborating. HarmonyOS 4, the operating system developed by Huawei, now has more than 60 million users, Yu said. “Just a few days ago, HarmonyOS 4 had about 50 million users, and the figure has now surpassed 60 million, with about 1.2 million new users added every day,” Yu said. HarmonyOS is an open-source operating system designed for various devices and scenarios, including intelligent screens, tablets, wearables and cars. It was first launched in August 2019. (SD-Agencies) | 