Now that everyone had seen how aggressively priced the Harmony X3 was, the internet's attention snapped to a single question: just how far would Huaxing push the upgraded Harmony X3 Pro?
Viewers in the livestream were curious, and rival Chinese phone makers were outright tense. If the Pro's upgrade was only marginal, the Harmony X line might dominate for a moment, then get dragged back into the usual flagship dogfight. But if the jump was too big, it would lock Huaxing into the top spot at home, and it might stay there for the next three to five years as long as the line did not slip behind the industry baseline.
Onstage, Heifeng Lu watched the noise in the stadium settle. He could feel the expectation tightening like a wire. Half an hour had already passed, and the real centerpiece of the night still had not been revealed.
"This time," Heifeng said, voice steady, "Huaxing is bringing you a cutting-edge product, the Harmony X3 Pro."
The crowd focused instantly. After all, if the standard Harmony X3 was already this strong, the Pro version had to justify its name.
On the giant screen behind him, the front and back of the Harmony X3 Pro appeared in crisp detail. At a glance, it looked similar to the standard model, but the differences were noticeable once you knew where to look. The silhouette matched, and both used the same pop-up front camera design, but the Pro swapped to a 3D curved-glass back. More importantly, the rear fingerprint scanner was gone.
That absence threw people off. In the venue and online, a low murmur spread. Removing the back fingerprint reader didn't feel like an upgrade for casual users. It felt like something being taken away.
Heifeng did not react to the chatter. "This time, the Harmony X3 Pro has major upgrades across performance, camera, display, battery life, and more," he said. "First, let's talk about the screen. On this device, we're using a brand-new Super OLED panel."
The specs appeared behind him, and the reaction was immediate.
It was a 6.4-inch display with a 2K resolution of 2,960 × 1,440, 115% coverage of the P3 color gamut, and a peak brightness figure that Huaxing presented as a headline feature. For anyone who followed phones closely, the implication was clear. The standard Harmony X3's screen could be argued as "competitive," mainly because it traded resolution for other strengths. The Harmony X3 Pro did not make that trade. On paper, it pushed past the Samsung Note5's already elite display and left most domestic flagships behind.
Heifeng let the moment breathe, then moved to the selling point he had been saving.
"This time, we've integrated a new capability directly into the screen," he said. "Under-display optical fingerprint unlocking."
The words flashed huge behind him: UNDER-DISPLAY OPTICAL FINGERPRINT UNLOCKING.
A phone appeared on-screen with the display off. A faint fingerprint graphic lit up where a thumb would naturally land.
A lot of viewers looked confused. The term sounded technical, and most people had never used anything like it. But among the competing manufacturers watching, expressions tightened. They understood exactly what it meant.
Everyone in the industry knew where phone design was headed. Fewer cutouts. Fewer holes. A cleaner slab of glass that looked like a single piece. A fingerprint reader under the screen was not just a feature; it was a directional signal. If it worked well, it removed yet another reason to punch openings into the device or reserve dedicated space on the chassis.
Heifeng saw the blank looks in the audience and explained in plain terms. "Under-display optical fingerprint unlocking means you press your finger on the screen," he said. "Light from the display captures your fingerprint pattern, and the phone unlocks."
He raised the device in his hand, and the camera operator zoomed in. Heifeng set a fingerprint, then demonstrated it live: thumb down, a brief flash, and the phone unlocked. The concept clicked immediately. You did not need a separate sensor on the back. You did not need a dedicated module on the side. The screen itself became the scanner.
When the crowd realized what they were seeing, the venue came to life again. Applause surged, louder and more excited than before.
Heifeng nodded, as if confirming what he already knew would happen. "This method can typically recognize your fingerprint in about one second," he said, "and unlock within one and a half seconds. It's fast, and it feels natural."
Then he added the part that mattered to everyday buyers. "We've also partnered with Tencent and Alibaba so that fingerprint payment can be used for online purchases through WeChat Pay and Alipay."
The reaction online turned into a flood.
"So that's why the rear fingerprint scanner is gone."
"This is actually crazy."
"Huaxing came prepared this year."