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AT&T Pulls Out of Deal To Sell China's Huawei Phones In the US (phonedog.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the last-minute dept.

According to the Wall Street Journal, AT&T has walked away from a deal to sell China's Huawei smartphones in the U.S. Neither AT&T nor Huawei have commented on the matter, but the news is certainly going to disappoint those of you who were looking forward to picking up Huawei's flagship Mate 10. Prior to this report, Huawei was expected to announce that its flagship Mate 10 will launch on AT&T in 2018. PhoneDog reports: Huawei has a major presence internationally, with recent reports saying that it's the No. 3 smartphone brand in the world behind Apple and Samsung. The company hasn't made much of a dent in the U.S., though, despite the fact that it's been selling its phones unlocked in the U.S. for awhile now. This AT&T deal would've been big for Huawei, helping it to get its phones inside carrier stores and in front of U.S. consumers, the majority of which still buy their phones from their carriers. Now we'll have to wait and see if Huawei can strike a deal with another carrier or if it'll have to continue on in the unlocked market. A Huawei spokesperson only said "Huawei has proven itself by delivering premium devices with integrity globally and in the U.S. market."

9 of 63 comments (clear)

  1. going out on a limb... by Ritz_Just_Ritz · · Score: 2

    I'm going to say that there were probably some "just because" terms in the agreement that made it too onerous or unprofitable for ATT to sign off on the deal. Folks accustomed to doing business with some of these Chinese firms that are private (but everyone knows there is a huge government interest) will recognize this for what it is. They wanted very rich terms and aren't accustomed to being told NO.

  2. Wut? by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Why on Earth do I need AT&T to sell me a Huawei phone?

    What is so hard about buying an unlocked phone? What is it about buying from a carrier that is preferable - in my experience it's horrible. They are slow and will give you a locked phone when you've paid for an unlocked phone, which you then spend countless hours getting them to fix.

    --
    I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
    1. Re:Wut? by Stormwatch · · Score: 2

      I guess it's cultural, people in 'Murica are used to buying "subsidized" phones from carriers. It is ultimately far more expensive than paying upfront, but paying in installments makes it less obvious if you're not paying attention.

      --
      Circumcision is child abuse.
  3. Intriguging by wjcofkc · · Score: 2

    Earlier in the day I saw an a US ad for Huawei. It was the first time I've ever seen such a thing. It was also very strange. I am going to walk out on a limb and sound racist. Slashdot can make of it what it will. It was a very American ad in terms of dramatizing how super cool their tech is and the general way it was scripted and shot. It was also presented as a "here we come" kind of commercial. It was also very Asian as all the actors had were Chinese (or looked kinda like it) had heavy Asian accents, and was obviously shot in China, yet they were acting like Americans. It was about the Mate 10 being the end all be all. I think perhaps I saw it on YouTube which is strange as I only saw it the one time. I wish I had a link. Did anyone else see it?

    Dissect this as you wish. I could have given a better commentary but I've been drinking. It was rather striking and unusual though.

    --
    Brought to you by Carl's Junior.
    1. Re:Intriguging by dj245 · · Score: 2

      Earlier in the day I saw an a US ad for Huawei. It was the first time I've ever seen such a thing. It was also very strange. I am going to walk out on a limb and sound racist. Slashdot can make of it what it will. It was a very American ad in terms of dramatizing how super cool their tech is and the general way it was scripted and shot. It was also presented as a "here we come" kind of commercial. It was also very Asian as all the actors had were Chinese (or looked kinda like it) had heavy Asian accents, and was obviously shot in China, yet they were acting like Americans. It was about the Mate 10 being the end all be all. I think perhaps I saw it on YouTube which is strange as I only saw it the one time. I wish I had a link. Did anyone else see it? Dissect this as you wish. I could have given a better commentary but I've been drinking. It was rather striking and unusual though.

      Foreign companies sometimes have to walk a fine line that can be difficult to follow. Many American chains in Japan have failed. Some didn't offer enough "Japanized" menu options (Wendy's). Others went in the other direction and failed because they catered 100% to Japanese tastes, and didn't offer any American menu items for customers who were seeking American-style food (Krispy Kreme).

      Marketing and branding are also very important. The foreign company has to find some niche or market that domestic companies fail to deliver on. As example, KFC has somehow convinced many Japanese people that Christmas = Fried Chicken. This was probably helped by the fact that Christmas in Japan is not the huge tradition it is in the USA, and turkey is very uncommon in Japan. KFC manufactured a tradition where none existed.

      --
      Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress at this period in history.
  4. Never again! by Miamicanes · · Score: 4, Informative

    I'm on replacement Nexus 6P #2 due to fucking batteries that lose 60% of their capacity within a few months. Google & Huawei blame each other, I get stuck eating $79 deductibles each time to exchange it, and the replacement phone's battery is ultimately shit, too... new, but ultimately as flawed as the last.

    It'll be a very, very long time before I buy another Huawei phone... if ever.

  5. Re:However little I trust Apple, AT&T, and NSA by Kernel+Kurtz · · Score: 4, Insightful

    However little I trust Apple, AT&T, and NSA......I trust the Chinese government even less, and will avoid entrusting my data to a Chinese-made phone.

    I'd rather have the Chinese spying on me than my own government. The former's ability to fuck with your life is much more limited.

  6. Re:However little I trust Apple, AT&T, and NSA by Baron_Yam · · Score: 2

    >I trust the Chinese government even less, and will avoid entrusting my data to a Chinese-made phone.

    1) As a Canadian, I'm less likely to have trouble from the Chinese looking at my phone contents than the Americans (who share with Canada).

    2) The phone I bought has been dissected by non-Chinese hackers who found nothing unusual or scary on it.

    3) Unfortunately, countering point 1, it is an Android phone so in reality Google probably owns it. :(

    4) I got a great (in my opinion) phone for a lot less than I'd pay if I'd bought a similarly-featured domestically available phone.

  7. Have to play to the stereotype by SuperKendall · · Score: 2

    Damn, there's goes most of Slashdot's best chance to ever get a Mate.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley