Huawei Prepares New “Starlight” Brand for the Budget Smartphone Market

Chinese technology giant Huawei is preparing to introduce a new sub-brand called “Starlight,” known as “Xingmang” in the Chinese market, in an effort to strengthen competition in the affordable smartphone segment.

The new lineup is expected to be sold mainly through online stores and compete with well-established brands such as Redmi, iQOO, and Realme.

Huawei currently covers the flagship segment with its Mate and Pura series, focuses on design and photography with Nova, and offers its most affordable models under the Enjoy lineup. The Starlight brand is expected to be positioned between the mid-range and budget segments.

The move is reminiscent of Huawei’s earlier successful strategy with Honor. Honor initially emerged as an affordable, online-focused brand before later becoming a major independent company.

Another key goal of the new brand is to further expand the user base of the HarmonyOS operating system.

The number of devices running HarmonyOS 6 and 7 has reportedly surpassed 90 million. Bringing more affordable devices to the market could both increase the number of users and encourage developers to create new software.

However, until Huawei officially announces the launch of the Starlight brand, the project’s future will largely depend on the final pricing of the devices and consumer interest.