The chairman of Huawei Technologies said that although US sanctions have stifled its smartphone activities, it will not give up and plans to eventually return to the “throne of the industry”.
In 2019, former US President Donald Trump accused Huawei of posing a threat to national security, blacklisted it from exports and blocked access to critical technology of US origin, affecting its ability to build its own business. design chips and source components from third-party suppliers.
“Everyone knows that phone chips need advanced technology in a small size with low power consumption. Huawei can design it, but nobody can help us make it: we’re stuck,” said Huawei chairman Guo Ping in a transcript of a recent Q&A with staff seen by Reuters.
However, Guo added that the problems were solvable.
“Huawei will continue to exist in the mobile phone field and with the continued advancement in chip manufacturing, the smartphone throne will eventually return,” he said.
Huawei, once briefly the world’s largest smartphone seller, fell from the ranks of China’s top five sellers in the last quarter, for the first time in more than seven years, according to research firm Canalys.
In November, Huawei sold its cheaper smartphone brand Honor – a move aimed at keeping the company alive.
Huawei’s sales fell 29 percent in the first half of this year, its biggest drop ever, with consumer group sales, which include smartphones, falling 47 percent to CNY 135.7 billion (about Rs. 1,55,550 crores) .
© Thomson Reuters 2021
