Slashdot Mirror
Best Buy Stops Selling Huawei Smartphones (cnet.com)
Best Buy, the nation's largest electronics big box retailer, has ceased ordering new smartphones from Huawei and will stop selling its products over the next few weeks. Best Buy didn't provide any details as to why it has severed ties with Huawei, but it may have to do with security concerns involving the Chinese government. CNET reports: The move is a critical blow to Huawei, which is the world's third-largest smartphone vendor behind Apple and Samsung but has struggled to establish any presence in the U.S. Best Buy was one of Huawei's biggest retail partners, and one of the rare places where you could physically see its phones. Huawei phones aren't sold by any U.S. carriers, where a majority of Americans typically buy their phones. Security concerns have long dogged Huawei in the U.S. In 2012, the House Intelligence Committee released a report accusing Huawei and fellow Chinese vendor ZTE of making telecommunications equipment that posed national security threats, and banned U.S. companies from buying the gear. At the time, the committee stressed that the report didn't refer to its smartphones. But that's changed over the last several months. The directors of the FBI, CIA and NSA all expressed their concerns about the risks posed by Huawei and ZTE.
They should stop selling all phones because they all are made in China or have Chinese parts
Or perhaps instead of "expressing concerns" the FBI, CIA, and NSA should be asked to provide some actual evidence.
These 3 agencies have a combined budget of over $60B. When expressing their opinion on a cellphone, they should be able to offer something more than just gut feelings.
A foreign country has a whole lot less power over me than an agency in "my" own country!
In China, I'd buy an NSA phone (Aka Google/Apple/MS/etc,incliding Japanese/EU brands),
But in the US I sure as hell will buy a Chinese phone. Or a Russian one.
Always preferably not via mail order, but by traveling there.
To buy a US phone in the US, or Chinese phone in China requires the worst kind of anticonspiracy theorist / blackeyed syndrome.
Interestingly, I learned this strategy from the NSA itself (thanks Snowden!): When two enemies quarrel, rejoice!
(The German faity tale The Valiant Little Tailor teaches how to get two giants to fight, to win against them both.)
BBK Electronics
Markets smartphones under the Oppo, Vivo and OnePlus brands.
Unlike Oppo and Vivo, OnePlus is sold in most markets and was found to have preloaded spyware on numerous occasions.
For just one blindingly obvious example, you can trash Trump 24/7 and not go to jail. Try that in China.
I've been to China several times and I'm pretty sure you could trash Trump 24x7 over there and not go to jail.