According to a report by Reuters, the four models of the Mate 70 — the Mate 70, Mate 70 Pro, Mate 70 Pro Plus, and Mate 70 RS — will also be offered with Huawei's HarmonyOS 4.3, which first launched in August 2019 as an alternative to Google's Android OS and is still compatible with Android's extensive app library.

Users who opt for Huawei's new Android-free HarmonyOS Next will have less choice when it comes to the apps they can install. Huawei says it has "secured more than 15,000 applications for its HarmonyOS ecosystem, with plans to expand to 100,000 apps in the coming months."

Starting next year, Huawei also says all the new phones and tablets it launches in 2025 will run HarmonyOS Next. Huawei hasn't confirmed what processors are being used in the Mate 70 lineup, but the company has previously used chips made by China's SMIC for last year's Mate 60 series and other smartphones.

The move is significant as it marks a shift for Huawei as it escapes US sanctions. What it means is that eventually the only people who will suffer from US isolationism will be US companies who will lose access to the huge Chinese market.

The Mate 70 series is expected to be available in China first, with potential international releases to follow.