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Increased scrutiny from the U.S. and other countries hasn’t dented sales in Huawei’s consumer business so far. The unit reported a record $52 billion in sales in 2018, up 50 percent from the year before, citing strong demand for its premium smartphones.
Huawei overtook Apple as the world’s second largest smartphone maker last year, behind Samsung. The company has proven resilient to a broader slowdown in smartphone sales in China, with smartphone shipments soaring 23 percent in the country in the fourth quarter of last year, according to market research firm IDC. Apple’s Chinese iPhone shipments, meanwhile, plunged 20 percent in the same quarter.
“Huawei has acquired a clear edge over the competition for extensive applications including photography, gaming and business usage by building solid technology prowess and innovations and collaborating closely with suppliers,” the IDC report said.
Still some analysts are worried about the high price tags of the foldable devices from Huawei and Samsung. Research shows consumers have already been holding onto their phones longer, finding it hard to justify spending $1000 or more on a new handset. Notably, Apple has not said whether it plans to develop a foldable device.
