Previously, images of Yu Chengdong, chairman of Huawei's consumer business group, had circulated online showing him using what appears to be the Mate XT. He also said recently in a Weibo post that Huawei's "most leading, innovative and disruptive product" is coming.

Ivan Lam, a senior analyst at Counterpoint Research, said in a news release that "the iPhone will continue to see erosion in the premium segment by Huawei and other Chinese brands".

The iPhone's share in the smartphone market on the Chinese mainland already has dropped from the top-five rankings, according to latest research by Canalys, a provider of global technology market data.

Second-quarter data showed that Apple ranked sixth on the Chinese mainland with a market share of 14 percent, down 2 percentage points year-on-year. Huawei ranked fourth with 15 percent market share.

"From a long-term perspective, the Chinese high-end market is ripe with opportunity. Local brands such as Huawei, Honor, Oppo and Vivo are leading the way by incorporating technologies such as GenAI into products and services," wrote analyst Lucas Zhong of Canalys. "Additionally, the localization of Apple's Intelligence services on the Chinese mainland will be crucial in the next 12 months."

Agencies contributed to this story.