Skip to main content

Huawei is not-so-subtly trolling Friday’s iPhone launch

Image used with permission by copyright holder

September 21 is iPhone XS day, but it’s not only Apple that’s out pushing its products into the hands of eager smartphone buyers. Huawei, the world’s second-largest smartphone manufacturer, has a new phone coming in the next few weeks and wants to remind prospective iPhone buyers what they could be missing out on. (Hint: It’s the Mate 20 Pro) It’s doing so in a not-so-subtle, but rather amusing, way.

Recommended Videos

On its official U.K. mobile Twitter account, the company posted a picture of a large, Huawei-branded van parked outside the Apple Store on Regent Street in London Friday morning. It’s called the “Huawei Ju%ce Van,” and it’s a mobile phone recharging station, and a place for anyone passing the Apple Store to grab a “brain-boosting drink.” The Twitter post finishes with the words, “A #HigherIntelligence is coming,” which is a reference to the Mate 20 Pro’s launch on October 16.

If that wasn’t enough, in Singapore Huawei spent the night before the iPhone XS launch handing out smartphone power banks — approximately 200 of them, according to a local source — to those patiently waiting in the Orchard Road Apple Store queue. The 10,000mAh pack included a friendly note from Huawei too, saying, “Here’s a power bank. You’ll need it. Courtesy of Huawei.”

Mothership.sg

Huawei hasn’t been hiding its disdain for Apple’s new iPhone models since they launched. Through the Huawei Mobile Twitter account, the firm has posted several short videos, insinuating Apple’s new phones are the same as the old ones, and thanking Apple for letting Huawei be “the real hero of the year.” In July, Huawei overtook Apple to become the second-largest smartphone seller in the world, and clearly feels it has earned the right to send a few well-aimed jabs in Apple’s direction.

The Huawei Mate 20 Pro will launch at an event in London on October 16. It will be powered by the new Kirin 980 processor, and it’s in relation to this that Apple got one over on Huawei. The Kirin 980 will become the second mobile chip manufactured using a 7nm process to be made available. Apple’s new A12 Bionic, inside the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR, will be the first, despite being announced after Huawei’s chip. These things always go both ways.

Andy Boxall
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
5 phones you should buy instead of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge
A person taking the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge out of a pocket.

It's an undeniable fact that smartphones have gotten larger and larger over the years. Samsung is trying to turn back the years with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, a smartphone that embraces everything we love about modern phones, but tries to make it just that little bit more svelte. The result is a phone that's just 5.9mm thick, making other flagships look like lumbering brutes.

The Galaxy S25 Edge's slimness is going to mean compromises, of course — chiefly, the battery size is smaller than its competitors, and while the build is thinner, there's a worry that could make the phone easier to damage. All of this is pure supposition until we get chance to review the phone, of course, and if you're considering buying the S25 Edge, we'd recommend waiting until our final review until you make a decision. But that doesn't change the fact that there are a number of strong smartphones out there that can do the S25 Edge's job well, and sometimes, better. Here are five phones you should buy instead of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge.

Read more
The foldable iPhone could become a yearly staple for Apple
Semi-open state of a foldable iPhone concept

South Korean tech site ET News has released a report suggesting the foldable iPhone will get an annual refresh starting in 2026. It would replace the Pro Max as the top-of-the-line iPhone model and get updated every year just like the rest of the core lineup.

The launch date for the "iPhone Fold" is still up in the air -- so while ET News is betting on 2026, we don't know if that will turn out to be accurate or not. Either way, the hype around this rumored new model is continuing to build with every new leak we get.

Read more
Word of notch-less and bezel-less iPhone in 2027 is refusing to die down
The Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max's screen.

In just two years, the world-dominating smartphone will celebrate its 20th anniversary -- and it looks like Apple has big plans for it. Reports from Bloomberg and The Information suggest the company is aiming for a curved and completely bezel-less display with no notches or cutouts for cameras or sensors.

We've already seen plenty of "curved" and "edge-to-edge" displays from manufacturers like Samsung, but current approaches only curve along the left and right edges of the device. Apple, on the other hand, reportedly wants to go all-in with a glass display that curves around all the edges and corners of the phone.

Read more