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China bans all government departments from using US-made technology
It was only a matter of time before China started offering trade bans to US companies in return for the ban on Huawei's gear. The Financial Times is reporting that Beijing has ordered all government institutions and public bodies to get rid of their foreign (i.e. western) computer gear. According to the report, China will spend between now and 2022 transitioning off American hardware and software in favor of local alternatives.
Huawei sues the FCC over subsidy ban on its telecom equipment
Huawei has filed a lawsuit against the FCC, formally challenging the agency's latest action against the company. If you'll recall, the FCC recently approved an order banning carriers from using Universal Service Fund subsidies to buy equipment from Huawei and ZTE -- two companies the US considers a national security threat. As The New York Times notes, big carriers don't use Huawei gear anymore, but a lot of smaller and rural carriers depend on the Chinese tech giant's products.
Huawei is reportedly planning to sue over latest FCC restrictions
The saga of Huawei vs. the US continues, and the latest chapter sees the Chinese electronics giant gearing up to take on the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC approved an order last week that would ban carriers receiving Universal Service Fund subsidies from using that money to buy equipment from companies considered "a national security threat" -- referring to Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE. Huawei slammed this action as "unlawful" in a statement released last week, and is preparing a lawsuit to challenge the decision, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
Huawei teams with Devialet on a $300 smart speaker for China
Huawei has unveiled the Sound X, a smart speaker it build in conjunction with bespoke French HiFi company Devialet. On top of the premium look, it packs a 60 watt double subwoofer and 360-degree sound, along with Devialet's speaker active matching (SAM) that eliminates distortion and push-push woofer vibration-cancelling tech.
Huawei's answer to the iPad Pro is the 10.8-inch MatePad Pro
Huawei has unveiled the 10.8-inch MatePad Pro, an iPad Pro-like tablet that we saw earlier via a leak. While it does bear a strong resemblance to Apple's 11-inch iPad Pro, the MatePro has even slimmer 4.9mm bezels made possible by an 8-megapixel hole-punch front camera, according to Engadget Chinese. It's also got a slightly higher-resolution 2,560 x 1,600 display that can output a very bright 540 nits while supporting the DCI-P3 color gamut.
Huawei is suing French critics who say it's tied to the Chinese state
Huawei is taking a more aggressive stance against critics who say it has ties to the Chinese government, according to Bloomberg and French investigative site La Lettre A. The telecom giant has filed three defamation suits in France against a French researcher, broadcast journalist and wireless network expert, all of whom made comments on different television programs. Huawei has confirmed that the claims were filed back in March.
Microsoft gets US license to resume selling software to Huawei
The US government is still bent on blacklisting Huawei in most respects, but the Chinese tech giant just got an important reprieve. The Commerce Department has granted Microsoft a license to "export mass-market software" to Huawei, according to a Microsoft statement to Bloomberg. The American company declined to say just what "mass-market" meant, but Windows and Office theoretically count -- Huawei might not have trouble offering PCs like the MateBook X Pro.
FCC bans carriers from buying Huawei, ZTE gear with subsidies
The FCC is acting on its vow to keep Chinese technology out of American wireless networks. Commissioners have unanimously approved an order barring any carrier receiving Universal Service Fund subsidizes from using that money to buy equipment from companies deemed a "national security threat" -- and of course, Huawei and ZTE are the first two companies considered threats. The measure also establishes a process for identifying other risky companies and will require audits.
Commerce Department extends Huawei license for another 90 days
In May, the Trump administration essentially banned the purchase and sale of Huawei products on a temporary basis. The emergency measure was meant to stem concerns that the company provides intelligence or backdoor access to the Chinese government while US agencies investigate the allegations. Organizations that wanted an exemption to this had to apply for what's called a Temporary General License, or TGL. The latest extension of the TGL was scheduled to expire today, but the Department of Commerce announced a 90-day extension this morning.
Huawei's foldable Mate X smartphone goes on sale in China
There's finally a major foldable smartphone on the market beyond the Galaxy Fold... if you live in China. As promised, Huawei has started selling the Mate X through its Vmall online store. It'll cost a steep 16,999 yuan (about $2,400 US), but you'll also have a unique, 5G-capable device that can unfold to offer a sizeable 8-inch display. There's still no mention of rollouts in other countries, though. Huawei said in October that Mate X access was contingent on 5G deployments in other countries and that expansion was "under review."
NYT: Trump admin set to extend Huawei license again
In May, the US Commerce Department added Huawei to the "Entity List," banning US companies from doing business with it unless they have a special license. Since then it has extended temporary licenses for existing customers, like mobile phone users and rural telecoms that use its equipment. The most recent extension is set to expire next week, but the New York Times reports the Trump administration is set to extend it a third time, for a length of time that is unknown. This deadline is arriving against the backdrop of negotiation over trade between the US and Chinese government, and the report also indicates that the administration is considering "product specific" licenses that would allow some companies to keep supplying Huawei.
US will grant Huawei trade ban exemptions 'very shortly'
The Commerce Department's de facto blacklisting of Huawei might loosen slightly in the near future. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told Bloomberg in an interview that licenses allowing US companies to deal with Huawei would arrive "very shortly." There have been 260 requests, or "more than we would've thought," but Ross cautioned against assuming that the US government would rubber stamp them. Companies should assume they won't get a license, even if the US expects to approve "quite a few" of these exceptions.
Huawei's next tablet might look like the iPad Pro
Renders of an upcoming Huawei tablet have leaked, and they show a device that looks like the iPad Pro with a "hole-punch" front-facing camera design. 91mobiles, which posted the first batch of leaked renders, suggested that it may be MediaPad M6's successor and will likely be called the MediaPad M7 based on the company's naming scheme. Serial leaker Evan Blass, however, tweeted his own photo of the tablet (see above) and said it's going to be called the "MatePad Pro" instead. Huawei's laptops are called "MateBooks," so that name doesn't exactly come out of left field.
Huawei boosts smartphone sales in China by a whopping 66 percent
In spite of US sanctions, Huawei is doing just fine in China. The company's domestic smartphone shipments increased 66 percent year-over-year, according to a report by market research firm Canalys. In the last quarter, Huawei shipped 41.5 million devices in China, giving it a record-high market share of 42 percent. At least some of that success, might be attributed to customers purchasing Huawei devices as a rebellion against US sanctions and foreign pressure.
FCC proposal would ban some US telecoms from using Huawei, ZTE gear
The US government might not be content with blacklisting Huawei and otherwise making it clear that Chinese wireless companies are personas non grata. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has put forward a proposal that would forbid Universal Service Fund recipients from buying equipment from companies deemed to be a "national security threat," including China's Huawei and ZTE. Moreover, carriers who already have that supposedly threatening gear would be required to remove it. The FCC might even offer "financial assistance" to networks to help them switch to other suppliers.
UK set to allow Huawei in 'non-contentious' parts of 5G networks
After months of talk, the UK is reportedly close to letting Huawei into its 5G networks. Sunday Times sources claim Prime Minister Boris Johnson is close to allowing the Chinese tech giant into "non-contentious" parts of 5G service in the country. While there wassn't much elaboration on what that meant, past reports suggested these would be areas where the potential damage from Chinese surveillance (if any) would be limited.
ARM will continue supplying Huawei with mobile chip designs
ARM will keep supplying Huawei with its chip designs at least through the next generation, the company said. That's a reversal from earlier this year, when ARM had reportedly notified personnel to halt all dealings with the Chinese company. "ARM can provide support to HiSilicon for the Armv8-A architecture, as well as the next generation of that architecture, following a comprehensive review of both architectures, which have been determined to be of non-U.S. origin," the company told Engadget in a statement.
Huawei will finally release its $2,400 Mate X phone on November 15th
After multiple delays, Huawei's foldable Mate X is nearly ready for launch -- but only in its homeland. Huawei is launching the phone in China on November 15th for ¥16,999, or roughly $2,400. Suddenly, the Galaxy Fold seems like a bargain. You do get 5G wireless, 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage for your trouble, although there's no Samsung-like concierge service here. There is a ¥2,699 (about $380) screen repair service, which you might just need when the fragile foldable display sits on the outside.
Huawei wants to license its 5G tech to US telecoms
Huawei is banned from selling its 5G technology in the US, but that isn't stopping it from trying an end run around that hurdle. Senior VP Vincent Pang told Reuters that Huawei is in early discussions to license its 5G tech to American companies. The talks are a couple of weeks old, but the unnamed firms have "shown interest" in both long-term deals and one-time transfers. Pang wouldn't predict if Huawei would land a deal, although he noted that any single-shot transfer would be expensive to maintain and develop.
Huawei wants people to dive into London's River Thames for a Watch GT 2
How badly do you want to get your hands on a Huawei Watch GT 2? Enough to dive in to the murky waters of London's River Thames? Because if that's your weird flex, you're in luck. Huawei has opened the world's first "Dive-Thru" on the Royal Victoria Dock, which will hold free watches for swimmers bold enough to dive underwater to collect them.
