Huawei struggling in the U.S market, was supposed to make the Pixels
- Fariha Khan
- October 4, 2016
- 426
It is interesting to note that though Huawei is considered a big smartphone leader for years, the company just planned to step into the U.S couple of years back. It all started with the Huawei-made Nexus 6P and then we came across the Honor 5X and Honor 8 that won the hearts of users. But according to reports, things have not really been very smooth for this smartphone giant.
Nexus 6P did but little good
Let us start with the Nexus 6P. It was supposed to be Huawei’s “big break” in the US market. Though it did some good job, initially it was to be sold on a much wider scale. Seemingly, Google formerly sold Huawei considering that the 6P would be sold not only unlocked but also through all 4 main US carriers. It was one of the major reasons the company signed onto the project.
Google and Huawei had plans to market the 6P with a multi-hundred-million dollar ad campaign, but it never happened. Carrier negotiations broke down as well. As a result, Google had to sell the device via its own store and Huawei’s website first. Later it was made available to others such as Amazon and other online and traditional retailers.
Huawei is not making Pixel now
Now with the upcoming Pixel devices, Google is believed to be making another deal with carriers but Huawei isn’t around this time. Reports also state that Huawei was formerly going to create the Pixel devices. However, the firm backed out as Google wanted that the devices have no OEM branding.
Google and Huawei relationship still intact
Despite all these issues, the bond between Google and Huawei is seemingly still strong. As it appears, Huawei is considering making its in-house Kirin chipsets usable with Google’s DayDream. Huawei-made ‘Nexus’ tablet is also there. Google is also trying to sign Huawei on for a product sometime in 2017.
No real success in the U.S so far
Reports also show that Huawei’s smartphone business in the US has not been on the positive side. The Honor 5X is the most prominent product from the company so far, yet it only describes those as average. Honor 8 that has recently debuted has also seen sales lower than expected. As a result, the company fired most of the team working on Honor in the U.S.
The story does not end here. When we see at Huawei’s self-branded devices, things get even more hopeless. The Huawei GX8 sold no units at all while the Windows-powered MateBook was another flop.
What’s the future of Huawei in the U.S?
At this point, the future of Huawei in the U.S market is not very clear. The company’s upcoming Mate 9 smartphone might not debut here. The company’s future in the smartwatch business is indefinite as well.