The Huawei Mate 20 series (that includes Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro) are incredible phones and you can can read our full review here if you’re not sure why.
Despite not being able to achieve carrier support in the US, the company has just announced they’ve sold a massive 10 million devices, just from their Mate 20 series) since October last year.
That’s a phenomenal effort given the size of the US market. While Australia and a number of other US-allies continue to rollout bans for Huawei infrastructure (like 5G), they fortunately have allowed sales of devices, which ultimately benefits consumers who like the brand, their product and their price point.
When Huawei attempted their global expansion into the US, the government tapped carriers on the shoulder and politely asked them to refrain from offering their phones on a plan. In the US, buying a smartphone is almost exclusively done on a contract, so without telco support, selling the device into the US market became essentially unpractical.
As I said in my review, I really hope the US reconsider this position as the devices are fantastic, with features that often lead the industry. An example of this is the phone that arrived in October last year is only now being matched by Samsung’s S10 and the Mate 20 Pro is cheaper (than the S10+ and iPhone XS Max).
In 2019 I feel like its time for the US Government to put up or shut up. They need to release any evidence they have that confirms the suggested security risk, or continue to loose credibility as it looks much more like an anti-China political position, rather than one that is around information security of their citizens.
Any global company understands that security and trust is paramount to their business success. Should a backdoor every be discovered in any product (that includes American designed, Chinese made iPhones and Samsung devices), it’s basically game over for that product and potentially that company on the international market.
In the absence of evidence to the contrary, I’m on Huawei’s side here, they’re a company that yes started in China, but have expanded globally to now be the 3rd largest mobile seller in Australia. Hope our friends in the US allow serious competition, wherever that comes from.
Yes, it is time for the US to put all its cards on the table regarding security concerns. They haven’t been entirely in the clear themselves (Cisco/NSA)