Huawei

538 'Huawei' stories June 2011 - August 2015

See All Stories

Snapdragon 820 will boost photo quality & battery life, says Qualcomm – but Huawei-made Nexus may not get it

Ben Lovejoy Aug 12 2015 - 5:57 am PT

Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 820 chip, which has been rumored to be powering the Huawei-made 5.7-inch Nexus due to ship later this year, will come with a new Adreno 530 GPU, says the chipmaker. The new GPU will offer improved battery-life when watching movies or playing graphics-intensive games, and will also offer significantly improved image-processing when taking photos, said Tim Leland, head of Qualcomm’s visual processing group.

Our Adreno 5xx-class GPU, brings an entirely new level of imaging to smartphones, and is designed to allow Snapdragon-powered devices to capture ultra-clear, vivid photos and videos regardless of motion and lighting conditions and display them with the color accuracy that nature intended …

Expand
Expanding
Close

Both LG and Huawei Nexus phones rumored to share features, including USB Type-C, fingerprint sensor, more

Cam Bunton Aug 12 2015 - 3:43 am PT

Alleged Huawei Nexus prototype/dummy

Well-known leakster, Steve Hemmerstoffer has leaked further information regarding the upcoming purported Nexus devices. Using his OnLeaks account, he shared some detailed specifications an features of both the rumored smaller LG device and larger Huawei-made smartphone.

Information passed to Steve by his sources suggests that both phones will feature front-firing speakers, USB Type-C compatibility and a fingerprint sensor on the back. Although both are rumored to likely feature a metal chassis, the dimensions will be different. LG’s Nexus is purported to measure in at 9.8mm thick, 147mm tall and 73mm wide while the Huawei device is allegedly going to be 8.5mm thick and measure at around 12.5mm taller and 5mm wider than LG’s Pure Google phone.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Upcoming Huawei device leaks ahead of purported September launch

Cam Bunton Aug 8 2015 - 9:33 am PT

With Samsung pulling out of IFA this year and opting for hosting its own event, you may be left wondering if there’s anything worth looking forward to at this year’s tech show in Berlin. Thankfully, it looks as though Huawei is preparing to show off one of its own new devices. Two leaks have shown up on Twitter today, one press render from Evan Blass and another picture of a pre-release device running AnTuTu benchmark tests from Steve Hemmerstoffer.

According to Evan Blass, better known as @evleaks, the device is going to be announced on September 2nd, at an event during IFA. Although he doesn’t know what the device’s name will be, he does state that it will feature ‘Force Touch’. If true, this will make it one of the first smartphones announced with a built in sensor to detect pressure on the touchscreen. Of course, Apple is expected to implement the technology in to its upcoming smartphones, but Cupertino isn’t likely to announce anything new until September 9.

Launching at IFA on 9/2. Features force touch. Branding currently unknown (D-series?). pic.twitter.com/5w2t7m7Nsx

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) August 8, 2015

Add that to the images of what is almost certainly a prototype, or pre-release test unit, and we start to get a clearer picture of the device. Looking at the information on screen from the benchmark tests suggests we’ll see a 1080p display, with an octa-core 64-bit processor. If you were to look at design alone, you might think this is perhaps the next generation Huawei Ascend Mate device. However, look closely and you’ll realize that can’t be the case.

You’ll also see that it has a 13MP camera and runs Android 5.1.1. But what’s really interesting to me is the claimed DPI count (better known as PPI or pixels per inch). The benchmark states that it has a pixel density of 480ppi. If so, using a pixel density calculator, it can’t possibly be a follow-up to the 6-inch Mate7. 1080×1920 over 6-inches is 367ppi. So this could perhaps be the mini version of Huawei’s Ascend Mate 7, with a screen measuring 4.6-inches diagonally. That’s not forgetting, the Mate 7 was only announced in March this year.

Of course, this is all just speculation for now. We’ll find out all about this device once it has been announced. It’ll be intriguing to see where in the market this supposed device will sit alongside the Huawei P8 and P8 Lite and if it’ll be restricted to just specific markets, or available globally. It’s unlikely that this is the long-rumored Huawei Nexus phone, if it is being announced at IFA.

Kantar: Samsung and LG account for 78% of US Android smartphone sales

Tom Maxwell Aug 6 2015 - 9:17 am PT

Consumer insights and research firm Kantar Worldpanel has released its smartphone sales data for the second quarter of 2015, which runs from April through June, and it’s a bit of a mixed bag for Android. Growth in the United States and China, but declines in Europe. Android also saw market consolidation stateside during the three month period.

Let’s get the bad news out of the way. In the second quarter, Kantar says Android posted its “strongest year-on-year share drop in Germany” since the beginning of 2015. 81% of all smartphones sold in Germany during the same period last year were powered by Android, compared to 75% this year — other smartphone operating systems have seen gains in the country during the same period.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Huawei Nexus prototype allegedly appears in sketchy leak

Cam Bunton Aug 6 2015 - 3:52 am PT

We’ve been hearing rumors for some time now that Google will partner with Huawei on its next flagship Nexus device. It may seem like a strange choice of manufacturer, but with its influence in China, Google sees a strong opportunity to piggy-back Huawei’s Chinese success and get its own services adopted there.

We’re supposedly expecting a device with a 5.7-inch QHD screen and Snapdragon 820 processor to be launched alongside a smaller LG-made device (refreshed Nexus 5 perhaps) sometime later this year. Today, a fresh leak has been published showing little detail, but what could be a prototype of the Huawei-made Pure Google device.

If you check out a few of the snapshot images originally taken from a blurry, unclear video, you’ll notice that the design is fairly similar to another Huawei smartphone. Although there are differences, you’ll see much of the design language is the same as the Huawei Ascend Mate 7:

The arrangement of the camera, fingerprint sensor and LED flash units is very similar in both. However, you’ll notice the camera on the supposed Nexus device is round, rather than square (matching the leaked LG Nexus cases). The LED flash is a long pill-shaped component rather than square, but the fingerprint sensor is much the same. Take a look at the original video leaked originally by Steve Hemmerstoffer:

Since the device isn’t powered on at all in the video, it’s hard to say with any certainty whether or not this really is the Nexus being leaked. Or even, if it’s a working prototype. For all we know, it could just be a tested physical dummy unit of a device Huawei is working on. Although, if it is genuine and this is the finished product, let me be the first to say that I’d love that all-black finish on a Nexus device. So dark, and stealthy.

Strategy Analytics: Huawei overtook Microsoft/Nokia to become world’s 3rd largest mobile phone vendor

Ben Lovejoy Jul 30 2015 - 5:27 am PT

Strategy Analytics has issued its latest estimates of global mobile phone shipments, and reports that Huawei overtook Microsoft (which incorporates the Nokia-designed Lumia) last quarter to become the third-largest mobile phone vendor in the world. The company saw its shipments grow almost 50% to 30.6M units, contrasting strongly with an overall industry growth rate of just 2%.

Ken Hyers, Director at Strategy Analytics, added, “Huawei shipped 30.6 million mobile phones and captured a record 7 percent marketshare worldwide in Q2 2015. Huawei is rising fast in all regions of the world, particularly China where its 4G models, such as the Mate7, are proving wildly popular. Huawei has finally overtaken Microsoft to become the world’s third largest mobile phone vendor for the first time ever.”

The company shared some earnings results earlier this month, showing a 30% increase in revenue and claiming to be on track to hit 100M sales this year.

Samsung retained the number one slot, but saw its market share slip from 22.3% to 20.5% on disappointing Galaxy S6 sales. Samsung earlier revealed an 8% drop in profits, the fifth year running it has reported a decline in profitability …

Expand
Expanding
Close

Render purportedly shows form factor of rumored LG Nexus, might be ‘Angler’

Stephen Hall Jul 29 2015 - 1:01 pm PT

OnLeaks, otherwise known as Nowhereelse.fr’s Steve Hemmerstoffer, has today shared an image of what he claims is a rough render of what the backside of an upcoming LG Nexus will look like. He hasn’t provided any information on any details or specifications of the phone, however.

Expand
Expanding
Close

IDC: Samsung loses tablet share to Lenovo and others while overall market shrinks

Zac Hall Jul 29 2015 - 7:21 am PT

While Apple’s iPad continues to lead the tablet market, according to new data from IDC, its marketshare has dropped a few points year-over-year, and the overall market for tablets saw negative growth, based on units shipped globally. That’s according to second quarter 2015 unit shipments and marketshare over the same quarter a year ago, as Apple shipped 10.9 million units versus 13.3 million units during the second quarter of 2014. While the iPad continues to lead in the tablet space, IDC’s data shows Apple’s market share dropping nearly 3 points from 27.7% to 24.5%.

Samsung, the number two player in the tablet space, similarly saw declines in both units shipped and market share from Q2 2014 to Q2 2015. The Korean company slipped by a million tablets during the quarter year-over-year, falling from 8.6 million units to 7.6 million units, while its market share dropped a point from 18% to 17% …
Expand
Expanding
Close

Huawei smartphone shipments up 39% year-on-year, to 48.2M in first half of 2015

Ben Lovejoy Jul 22 2015 - 7:12 am PT

Huawei shared some of its financial results on Monday, showing a strong first half of 2015, and it has now shared one additional key piece of data: smartphone sales. Huawei told Reuters that it had shipped 48.2M smartphones globally in the first half of the year, up 39% year-on-year.

Our usual caution should be noted: shipments does not necessarily indicate sales. There’s no telling what percentage of those devices are sitting on warehouse shelves or in retail stores. But assuming there is some reasonable correlation between the two, it does lend weight to the earlier suggestion that the company is on-track for its target of 100M sales by the end of the year, as sales should increase significantly during the holiday season.

Huawei has had a rather troubled history in the U.S. thanks to unproven allegations of involvement in state-sponsored spying, exiting the country in 2013 (bar white-label products for other brands) before returning in 2014 with the Ascend Mate2.

Huawei sees strong first half of 2015 with 30% revenue increase, reportedly on track for 100 million shipments

Tom Maxwell Jul 20 2015 - 10:38 am PT

Huawei, the Chinese-based manufacturer making a name for itself in the Android smartphone market, has released a peek at its earnings results for the first half of 2015, despite being a privately-held company. The results suggest Huawei is doing quite well for a company which already ships millions of phones globally on an annual basis, although the company doesn’t just make smartphones — it also has its hand in enterprise with products in cloud computing, data storage, and more, as well as in the carrier business where it offers network technologies for telecommunications operators to easily scale their mobile broadband infrastructure.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Huawei Nexus could feature 5.7″ QHD screen, metal body, fingerprint reader, Snapdragon 820 and Q4 release

Cam Bunton Jul 15 2015 - 2:33 am PT

A tweet from infamous leakster, Evan Blass (aka @evleaks), this morning reveals a few previously unknown details about the supposed upcoming Huawei-made Nexus phone. If his tweet has genuine information we could see a phone powered by a Snapdragon 820 chip with a 5.7-inch QHD display and a fingerprint sensor…
Expand
Expanding
Close

The Information: Huawei is working with Google on the next Nexus

Cam Bunton Jul 10 2015 - 7:06 am PT

A familiar rumor resurfaced online this morning thanks to a report published by The Information saying that Huawei and Google are working together on this year’s Nexus smartphone. It’s speculated that the device will land later this year, almost certainly in the fall. If this is genuine inside knowledge it would be the first time a Chinese manufacturer has been chosen to make the “Pure Google” smartphone.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Huawei Watch faces significant delays in China due to block on Google services

Tom Maxwell Jun 15 2015 - 6:26 pm PT

We recently reported that the launch of Huawei’s first smartwatch, simply called Huawei Watch, was expected to be delayed until September or October in China and perhaps abroad as well. A new story out from the WSJ speaking with Yang Yong of Huawei, however, has the launch in China pushed back as far as early 2016. The smartwatch is still expected to launch in the US and Europe in the coming months.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Huawei Watch said to be delayed until September or October

Tom Maxwell Jun 10 2015 - 9:52 am PT

Speaking to Chinese media, He Gang, the head of Huawei’s mobile division, has said that the launch of the company’s first smartwatch, called Huawei Watch, has been delayed until at least September or October, pushing its launch to the latter half of the year. The Huawei Watch was unveiled back at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona with the company having said at the time that they were planning for a launch sometime “around the middle of the year.”

The delay can largely be attributed to “incompatibility issues with Android Wear,” according to the reports. In other words, Google Play services being unavailable in China due to strains between the Mountain View company and the People’s Republic of China has meant that Huawei has to build its own smartwatch services to match those built and offered by Google.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Huawei’s $250 P8 Lite comes to the US, sports a 5-inch display, Snapdragon 615

Stephen Hall Jun 3 2015 - 9:34 am PT

As expected, the Huawei P8 Lite has now landed in the United States. The phone isn’t exactly the first of its kind—the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 and the ZenFone 2 fall into the same category—but it’s a notable addition to the available mid-range offerings in the US. It’s a stripped down version of the company’s P8, as you might expect…
Expand
Expanding
Close

Rumor: Two new Nexus phones on the way, 5.2-inch and 5.7-inch – but no new tablet

Ben Lovejoy May 26 2015 - 4:01 am PT

Google’s existing Nexus 5 and Nexus 6 handsets

With Google reporting falling revenues from its Nexus devices, and having seemingly abandoned the original concept of an affordable vanilla device in favor of more expensive devices, the future of the product line was looking a little uncertain. But a new rumor says that Google will indeed be continuing the Nexus program – and not just with one new smartphone, but two.

Android Police cites a “reliable source” in suggesting that Google is partnering with two different manufacturers: with LG for a 5.2-inch smartphone code-named Angler, and with Huawei for a 5.7-inch phablet code-named Bullhead …
Expand
Expanding
Close

Huawei uses funny short to explain how to pronounce their name

Tom Maxwell May 22 2015 - 8:48 pm PT

Huawei is a rising Chinese mobile device manufacturer who’s name isn’t exactly easy for those of us in English-speaking countries to pronounce. Considering that we’re still hearing rumbles of the company’s desire to grab hold of consumer mindshare here in the United States, it’s about time for them to clear these simple pronunciation issues – which is exactly what they’re beginning to do.

The company released a short bit to its UK YouTube account today of a group of individuals performing “vocal warmups,” led by Gordon Friend, a coach from the “Future Facing Association of Pundits” (yes, “FFAPs” just like it sounds). The short then turns to learning how to properly pronounce the names of different Arsenal F.C. football players as they’re brought into the room. Because you’re probably pronouncing those incorrectly, too.

The ending of video is pretty anti-climactic, though, with the group quickly moving on to learning how to pronounce Huawei. It’s “Wah-way,” in case you were wondering.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euwLuAW2SNI

Huawei to announce its United States plans on June 2nd, phone launch likely incoming

Stephen Hall May 14 2015 - 9:02 am PT

Huawei has today sent out invites to an event happening on June 2nd, and it looks like this date might mark the first time the Chinese company will launch consumer hardware in North America. According to the invite, the event in New York City is scheduled to show off “what’s new from Huawei” and provide the latest information on the “company’s US strategy.”

Expand
Expanding
Close

Huawei announces its P8 and P8max flagships w/ steel construction, spec bumps all-around

Stephen Hall Apr 15 2015 - 8:10 am PT

Ditching the Ascend name, Huawei has today announced its P8 flagship smartphone, most notably packing a steel metal construction and some nifty new camera features built around a 13-megapixel main shooter with optical image stabilization. Of course the software on the device got a bump into 2015 as well, bringing on board Google’s Android Lollipop (or at least Huawei’s version of it).
Expand
Expanding
Close

Watch the Huawei P8 announcement here (Livestream)

Stephen Hall Apr 15 2015 - 7:01 am PT

Huawei is about to announce its next flagship, the Huawei P8, and you can watch the livestream of the global announcement right here. There’s not much known about the P8 besides the fact that Huawei is doing away with the “Ascend” part of its name, but the company is teasing a “Revamp the possibilities of light” motto for today’s event—meaning we might be seeing some kind of new screen or camera technology.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Huawei’s profits climb by a third to $46B, expects 20% revenue rise this year

Ben Lovejoy Mar 31 2015 - 6:16 am PT

Huawei, the second largest telecoms manufacturer in the world, saw its profits rise 33% last year, reports Reuters.

Global revenue rose 21 percent from a year ago to 288.2 billion yuan ($46.51 billion) in 2014 for Huawei and is expected to jump another 20 percent this year, the Shenzhen-based company said.

The growth has been mostly driven by LTE expansion within China, its home market being responsible for the bulk of its sales.

The company announced an Android Wear smartwatch at Mobile World Congress earlier this month (where we got a hands-on). No pricing was given, though the company has denied suggestions that it would be as high as $1000.

Image credit: Forbes Conrad/Bloomberg

Sketchy renders purportedly show an upcoming Android Wear smartwatch from Oppo

Stephen Hall Mar 9 2015 - 7:06 am PT

Many Android smartphone manufacturers have already entered the Android Wear race, with the latest entry—the aptly-named Huawei Watch—coming from Chinese company Huawei at Mobile World Congress last week. Today, it looks like the first evidence of an Android Wear device coming from another Chinese OEM, Oppo, have surfaced on the web via a couple of different sketchy Chinese sources.

The above smartwatch, sporting a fairly traditional design, might just be Oppo’s upcoming entrant…
Expand
Expanding
Close

Huawei: Rumored $1,000 cost ‘out of range’ of base model Huawei Watch price

Stephen Hall Mar 6 2015 - 8:47 am PT

A rumor began circulating the Android blogs a couple of days ago that the Huawei Watch is going to cost about a grand when it launches. Intentionally or not, the original source of this rumor didn’t exactly specify which model of the device would cost this much, saying only that the “Huawei Watch price is $1,000”.

While we still don’t know what the different variants of the device will cost—as Huawei hasn’t announced pricing for any of them yet—we now have confirmation from the Chinese company that the base model will most definitely not cost $1,000…
Expand
Expanding
Close

Hands-on with the beautiful Android Wear powered Huawei Watch (Video)

Dom Esposito Mar 4 2015 - 4:58 am PT

As many of you know already, when it comes to Android Wear smart watches, style is the defining factor. The software experience will be the same on any Android Wear smartwatch, but the mobile market is still trying to prove it can deliver on something that’s not only functional, but stylish as well. This year at MWC 2015, Huawei became a serious competitor in the smart watch space. Meet Huawei Watch. I think you’ll like it…

Expand
Expanding
Close