Has Verizon’s plan to sell Huawei phones been squashed too?

By Andy Boxall January 30, 2018

mate 10 pro — Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Verizon has been pressured into canceling its plans to launch Huawei smartphones by the U.S. government, say anonymous sources speaking to Bloomberg. The rumored decision comes several weeks after AT&T pulled out of a similar deal, apparently for similar reasons, and with potentially similar problems related to the development of a 5G network.

While AT&T was likely to carry the Huawei Mate 10 Pro almost immediately after announcement, Verizon was rumored to be the second stage in Huawei’s grand plan to become better known in the United States, and phones that worked on its network would be introduced in the summer. These rumors now make any launch seem very unlikely.

Huawei will still sell the Mate 10 Pro in the U.S. from February 4, when it will be available for pre-order through Amazon, Best Buy, Microsoft stores, and several others. However, without the backing of a carrier it faces an uphill struggle to gain much needed brand recognition, and lacks the ability for people to buy a subsidized version of the $800 smartphone. Huawei chief executive Richard Yu said the Mate 10 Pro not being available with a network was a big loss for consumers, carriers, and Huawei itself.

Outside of this, there are concerns these decisions will impact the widespread development and adoption of 5G networks. A 5G version of the Huawei Mate 10 Pro may arrive in 2019, say Bloomberg’s sources, while the company is also a leader in essential network infrastructure equipment that could speed up the launch of a 5G network. Blacklisting Huawei — and competing Chinese brand ZTE — blocks the use of its equipment and expertise in the area.

A U.S. launch on AT&T and Verizon wouldn’t be the first time Huawei left China. It already sells devices on networks and through partners all around the world. It has consistently been one of the top three smartphone manufacturers globally, and research in September 2017 showed at one point it passed Apple to become world number two. To attain its goal of becoming the number one smartphone manufacturer in the world, it needs to increase sales in North America, India, and some other regions. For now, this won’t happen without a carrier deal locked down in the United States.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Senior Mobile Writer

Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…

Mobile

New OnePlus budget phone comes packing 2 super-rare features

OnePlus Nord N30 5G rear face.

OnePlus has introduced a new budget-priced phone for the U.S. market that includes some compelling hardware -- and a couple of rare conveniences. The OnePlus Nord N30 5G will set you back by $300 and is already up for preorders in the U.S., with a free pair of earbuds in tow.
Starting with the standout tricks, this phone comes with a microSD slot for storage expansion. It supports cards with up to 1TB storage capacity, which should be plenty if you are into capturing a lot of videos and high-resolution videos. Just keep in mind that microSD cards of 1TB capacity from reputed brands could cost as much as the phone itself.

Another notable perk is the presence of a 3.5mm headphone jack on the OnePlus Nord N30 5G. You don’t have to fork out extra cash on a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter or splurge on a Bluetooth audio wearable. However, there is more to this OnePlus phone than meets the eye, as some of its hardware perks defy its asking price by a huge margin.
You are greeted by a 6.7-inch Full HD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) display with a 120Hz refresh rate. For comparison, Apple will charge you $800 for the iPhone 14 Plus, but it still keeps you limited to a slow 60Hz LCD screen. And there is no ugly notch to be seen here, as the selfie camera is neatly housed inside a dot-shaped cutout at the top.
Qualcomm’s octa-core Snapdragon 695 chipset powers this phone, paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. The battery capacity is also fairly generous at 5,000 mAh. Plus, you get support for 50-watt fast charging. OnePlus ships the fast charger in the retail package, just in case you’re irked by the bad precedent set by the thousand-dollar phones from Apple and Samsung.

Mobile

Your Verizon plan just got a major overhaul — here’s what’s new

Verizon's mobile plans are being restructured to provide customers with the flexibility to choose only the perks they actually plan to use — and save money in the process.

Although Verizon’s plans have always packed in a lot of extras, the company candidly admits that these have become “bloated bundles” that force folks to pay for a bunch of services they may not want or need. This week, Verizon announced it’s leaving that “one-size-fits-all” approach behind to allow customers to build the bundle of services and perks they want.
Verizon’s myPlan

Mobile

If you like cheap phones, you’ll love these 2 new Moto G options

The Moto G Stylus 2023, standing upright on a couch, with its display turned on.

The budget smartphone market is a bustling space right now, with great phones from Nokia and Samsung making big waves. Motorola is the unofficial king of the budget smartphone, but its throne is looking quite shaky right now. That might be why it's decided to remix some classics this year, releasing new versions of the Moto G 5G and Moto G Stylus.

While there are definitely some improvements in the 2023 versions of both phones, Motorola has also made some cutbacks for both, making these new versions remixes of past classics rather than pure upgrades. Here's everything you need to know about the Motorola Moto G 5G (2023) and Moto G Stylus (2023).
Moto G 5G (2023)