Huawei and Xiaomi Could Get Major Boost in United States With AT&T and Verizon Sales Partnerships

[MacRumors]

Chinese smartphone makers Huawei and Xiaomi are reportedly in discussions with carriers AT&T and Verizon, who may begin selling each company's flagship Android smartphones in the United States as early as next year.

The negotiations are still in progress, and it's possible no final agreements will materialize, according to Bloomberg News.

The news echoes an earlier report from The Information that claimed AT&T has tentatively agreed to sell at least one Huawei smartphone, which was believed to be a high-end model resembling the company's flagship Mate 10 handset.

A partnership with AT&T and/or Verizon would be a major win for Huawei, already the world's third largest smartphone maker by market share behind Samsung and Apple, which dominate the smartphone market in the United States.

Huawei is the most popular smartphone maker in China, and it has aggressively pushed into Europe and Canada, but it has considerably less brand awareness in the United States since no major carriers sell its smartphones in the country. American customers currently have to resort to retailers such as Best Buy, Walmart, or Amazon to purchase a Huawei smartphone.

If it wants to achieve its lofty goal of becoming the largest smartphone maker in the entire world by 2021, Huawei will almost certainly have to secure these types of agreements with AT&T, Verizon, and other carriers.

Huawei remained in third place with an estimated 39.1 million smartphone shipments worldwide last quarter, according to research firm Strategy Analytics, while Apple reported sales of 46.7 million iPhones over that period. In the United States, Huawei held just a 0.2 percent share of the smartphone market as of June 2017, according to Counterpoint Research.

Meanwhile, Xiaomi said it aims to roll out smartphones in the United States within two years. Xiaomi is also considering opening retail stores in the country to increase its brand presence, according to the report.

Article Link: Huawei and Xiaomi Could Get Major Boost in United States With AT&T and Verizon Sales Partnerships

 

[KPOM]

It seems that Samsung and LG would be the primary targets. How many people really switch between iOS and Android anymore?

 

[Insleep]

LOL...good luck.

 

[Stridder44]

Yeah, no thanks. Hard pass on any Chinese smartphone maker.

 

[KazKam]

It's the software, stupid!

Nice hardware is nice, but I'd be willing to wager what actually keeps iPhone users on iPhones is iOS and the Apple ecosystem.

Please stop writing these articles with headlines insinuating there's some rivalry between Apple and these particular manufacturers of Android smartphones. Nothing about these particular Android phones makes them any more or less competition for iPhones than any other Android smartphones. They are competition for Samsung far more than for Apple.

 

[newyorksole]

Hmmm I hope they copy Apple in terms of their names too. Something tells me people in the US will have a hard time saying Xiaomi and Huawei.

 

[cale508]

Yeah, no thanks. Hard pass on any Chinese smartphone maker.

Like the iPhone is manufactured in USA.

 

[RightMACatU]

Augment this partnership with anti net neutrality measures and they're off

 

[PG(Austin)]

Phase I: Get as many people in the US on a phone by a Chinese company.

 

[TonyC28]

It seems that Samsung and LG would be the primary targets. How many people really switch between iOS and Android anymore?

Good point. I am neck deep in Apple’s ecosystem and I couldn’t imagine switching at this point. Very good job by Apple.

 

[KingslayerG5]

They're both very good Chinese brands. My Mi 3 still works well after 3.5 years. Still smooth. I just don't like their iTunes-like PC Suites. And if Verizon or AT&T who are both control freaks, we know their phones will end up getting branded and with bloat.

EMUI and MIUI are heavily customized as is. Another Chinese custom ROM to deal with. So you will end up bloat from three brands. The OEM, the carrier, and Google's. Better off in the longer run sticking to a Pixel, Essential, or OnePlus.

 

[44267547]

It seems that Samsung and LG would be the primary targets. How many people really switch between iOS and Android anymore?

Valid point. The only reason somebody would would move to a competitor is because of the hardware, but as we all know, aesthetics wears off and it comes down to the software experience. In my experiences from those around me who have migrated to android, quickly moved back to iOS because they did not like androids platform. I would say the majority who have been exposed to iOS and have been using it for a longer duration, will never leave iOS.

 

[kazmac]

They're both very good Chinese brands. My Mi 3 still works well after 3.5 years. Still smooth. I just don't like their iTunes-like PC Suites. And if Verizon or AT&T who are both control freaks, we know their phones will end up getting branded and with bloat.

EMUI and MIUI are heavily customized as is. Another Chinese custom ROM to deal with. So you will end up bloat from three brands. The OEM, the carrier, and Google's. Better off in the longer run sticking to a Pixel, Essential, or OnePlus.

That Verizon bloat was a big eye opener for me, amongst other things. Agree with your bolded.

 

[v0lume4]

Strictly speaking in terms of hardware, my Nexus 6P is insanely good (it's manufactured by Huawei). And to think that this phone started at $499 is insane to me. This is every bit comparable to a premium-priced flagship.

Now, here's the rub -- this phone runs stock Android, which is very good. It's too bad that Huawei's other offerings run some skinned version of Android.

That said -- their hardware is up to par (even if the software isn't ideal). I'd be interested to see how they fare in the US market because the quality is there.

 

[B4U]

I could have swear that I have read an article somewhere before where it states that Xiaomi is controlled by the Communist Party in China and they have spyware built in.
If that is the case, there is no way anyone shall be buying these crap.
[doublepost=1513357734][/doublepost]

They're both very good Chinese brands. My Mi 3 still works well after 3.5 years. Still smooth. I just don't like their iTunes-like PC Suites. And if Verizon or AT&T who are both control freaks, we know their phones will end up getting branded and with bloat.

EMUI and MIUI are heavily customized as is. Another Chinese custom ROM to deal with. So you will end up bloat from three brands. The OEM, the carrier, and Google's. Better off in the longer run sticking to a Pixel, Essential, or OnePlus.

Or just get an unbranded phone?
My Sony Xperia XZ is perfectly fine without any bloats.

 

[MacBebe]

Hmmm I hope they copy Apple in terms of their names too. Something tells me people in the US will have a hard time saying Xiaomi and Huawei.

For those who are iOS haters, they probably don’t care.

 

[Westside guy]

Nice hardware is nice, but I'd be willing to wager what actually keeps iPhone users on iPhones is iOS and the Apple ecosystem.

While this has been true in the past - at least for me - I am starting to look at non-Apple hardware specifically because I have been disappointed in what seems to be a sustained downward trend quality-wise in Apple's software, and a move away from what I want to see in Apple's hardware.

I'm still a couple years away from replacing either my iPhone or my MacBook Pro... but it's no longer a lock that either will be replace by a newer Apple device.

 

[Norwegian_Imposter]

It's the software, stupid!

Nice hardware is nice, but I'd be willing to wager what actually keeps iPhone users on iPhones is iOS and the Apple ecosystem.

Please stop writing these articles with headlines insinuating there's some rivalry between Apple and these particular manufacturers of Android smartphones. Nothing about these particular Android phones makes them any more or less competition for iPhones than any other Android smartphones. They are competition for Samsung far more than for Apple.

Totally Agree I went on self imposed android switch over but coming back to iPhone with the X and it’s just so much smoother and integrated with my MacBook with iOS. I will never leave now it’s too damn smooth.

 

[Ramchi]

It's the software, stupid!

Nice hardware is nice, but I'd be willing to wager what actually keeps iPhone users on iPhones is iOS and the Apple ecosystem.

Please stop writing these articles with headlines insinuating there's some rivalry between Apple and these particular manufacturers of Android smartphones. Nothing about these particular Android phones makes them any more or less competition for iPhones than any other Android smartphones. They are competition for Samsung far more than for Apple.

I think Android beats iPhone on both Software(customisation, True Multitasking, file operations, , Google Assistance etc...) and Hardware(RAM, bigger displays, expandable storage).

IPhone beats Android on committed user base with iOS ecosystem & probably security system.

With career subsidies vanishing, more and more people might actually considering the switch. Moving from $850-900 iPhone 7 plus to $1000 Samsung Note 8 may not be a good option but trying out something at $450 with similar spec and better software may not be a bad option.

 

[Norwegian_Imposter]

I think Android beats iPhone on both Software(customisation, True Multitasking, file operations, , Google Assistance etc...) and Hardware(RAM, bigger displays, expandable storage).

IPhone beats Android on committed user base with iOS ecosystem & probably security system.

With career subsidies vanishing, more and more people might actually considering the switch. Moving from $850-900 iPhone 7 plus to $1000 Samsung Note 8 may not be a good option but trying out something at $450 with similar spec and better software may not be a bad option.

I came from both a Sony XZ and a Samsung Galaxy S8+. Both lagged after about a month and the app quality was not as good as was the synergy. The only thing I miss is the twitch app was better. Seriously android is not great. As an international person living in a foreign country I much prefer Apple to keep in touch with family and friends. The latest Samsung update where you swipe to get the menu button then press them was stupid as hell.

 

[canadianreader]

I like Huawei's implementation of Android OS very very similar to iOS

 

[Norwegian_Imposter]

I like Huawei's implementation of Android OS very very similar to iOS

I mistrust Chinese manufacturers as I’m sure they will not think twice of bending to the Chinese government. Sounds nuts I know but there was something about their routers a while back.

 

[canadianreader]

I mistrust Chinese manufacturers as I’m sure they will not think twice of bending to the Chinese government. Sounds nuts I know but there was something about their routers a while back.

I understand you I also mistrust EVERY tech company

 

[UL2RA]

Totally Agree I went on self imposed android switch over but coming back to iPhone with the X and it’s just so much smoother and integrated with my MacBook with iOS. I will never leave now it’s too damn smooth.

I went from an 8 to the Pixel 2 and then to the X. Not going back to Android anytime soon. Google is making a lot of good progress with Android, though.
[doublepost=1513362230][/doublepost]

I like Huawei's implementation of Android OS very very similar to iOS

No ... it isn't.

 

[M.PaulCezanne]

no notch, no deal.