A failed promise and the question of branding.
Last year, Huawei made a Nexus phone for the very first time. The Nexus 6P was much loved and appreciated, and ended up on best smartphone charts all over the world. But, things did not go perfectly to plan for Huawei. When the company picked up the contract with Google, the search giant had told Huawei that its Nexus smartphone would be sold by all four carriers in the United States. And, while the Nexus 6P was indeed compatible with the carriers, neither sold any Nexus 6P units.
As Android Authority reports, Huawei has been looking for a way to enter the US markets for a while now, and the opportunity of partnering with Google for the Nexus smartphone was identified by the company as the best way to enter US shores. In addition to the carrier plans failing, Google had also promised to advertise the Nexus 6P widely, which would have also increased Huawei’s reach in the USA. The extent of advertisement may not have matched, but the carrier plan breakdown was a major blow in Huawei’s American dream.
While all of this did not work out, Google still wanted to partner with Huawei for this year’s Pixel phones, and offered it the contract. The difference between the long-standing Nexus lineup and this year’s Pixel phones, though, is that Google wanted the Pixel phones to only carry the Google brand. This did not sit well with Huawei, and they refused to partner with Google. Seizing this opportunity, HTC cashed in on the opportunity and grabbed the rights.
Android Authority has quoted “people familiar with Huawei’s operations” stating that the company’s relations with Google still remains strong, and there have also been rumours of an upcoming tablet being made by Huawei in collaboration with Google. However, the company may regret not getting on board with the Pixel phones, as its Honor 8 smartphone did not exactly do well in the US, and Huawei has reportedly been cutting down its US team – all of which may have been avoided had they proceeded with manufacturing the Pixel phones.
Nevertheless, we sincerely hope Huawei finds a strong entry to the US markets, and wish luck for HTC for the Pixel phones scheduled to launch later tonight.
Buy Google Pixel from flipkart at Rs 57000.
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Souvik Das
The one that switches between BMWs and Harbour Line Second Class. View Full Profile
