Largest US electronics store to stop selling Huawei phones

Best Buy has stopped ordering Huawei smartphones and will no longer supply devices from the Chinese manufacturer when current stock runs out. So say sources familiar with the case to CNET.

The choice to stop selling Huawei phones would have been made by Best Buy itself, according to the anonymous sources. A spokesperson for the retailer told CNET that there are no statements about contracts with brands and that decisions are being made about products to sell for “various reasons.” A Huawei spokesperson also declined to comment on the matter.

If Best Buy stops selling Huawei smartphones, it will likely have a major impact on the brand’s presence in the United States. The phones are not for sale from providers in combination with subscriptions; At the beginning of this year, Huawei was about to announce a deal with provider AT&T, but it was canceled at the last minute. The largest provider in the US, Verizon Wireless, would also have had the plan to include the devices in its range, but that also fell through.

Intelligence agencies in the US are critical of Chinese brands such as Huawei. In a hearing in mid-February, the directors of services such as the FBI, CIA and NSA advised consumers against purchasing products or services from Huawei or ZTE. American politicians fear that the brands have too close ties with the Chinese government and that equipment such as smartphones could be used for espionage.

Huawei is the third largest smartphone manufacturer in the world after Apple and Samsung. The brand is struggling to gain a foothold in the US. CNET notes that Best Buy was virtually the only retailer where the devices were physically on display. Major American online stores, including Amazon and Newegg, currently still have Huawei smartphones in their range.

Huawei P10