Polls

CIA, FBI, NSA say you shouldn't buy the Huawei P20 Pro. Would you?

by Preslav Kateliev / Apr 24, 2018, 9:25 AM

CIA, FBI, NSA say you shouldn't buy the Huawei P20 Pro. Would you?

Early this year, Huawei was so, so close to an actual deal with a US carrier. The Mate 10 was supposed to be compatible with and sold through AT&T. But, alas, politics got in the way. The NSA, FBI, and CIA all say US citizens should tread carefully when using the China-made smartphones and managed to pressure AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile enough for the carriers to back away.

This means that, unfortunately, the shiny new P20 Pro will also not be making it to the carriers' store shelves. It also doesn't support a whole lot of LTE bands, so importing one might not be a great idea right now.

Still, if, theoretically, your carrier supported it — would you get yourself a Huawei P20 Pro? It's purple, it has three cameras, and a notch!

Would you buy a Huawei P20 Pro?

Oh, yeah!

50.67%

I'd be tempted, but privacy concerns bother me

16.14%

I'd think about it, privacy concerns have nothing to do with my decision

11.13%

Nah, I don't care about these

22.06%

Huawei P20 and P20 Pro

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51 Comments

1. Dr.Phil

Posts: 2429; Member since: Feb 14, 2011

The agencies tasked with spying on everyone, including hundreds of thousands of innocent citizens as evidenced by historical court and Congressional documentation, are telling consumers to not purchase a phone due to privacy concerns... In other news, pot called kettle black.

posted on Apr 24, 2018, 9:31 AM 43

3. drazwy

Posts: 356; Member since: Jan 15, 2014

Exactly. If anyone would know how it works, they would.

posted on Apr 24, 2018, 9:42 AM 1

10. Klinton

Posts: 1409; Member since: Oct 24, 2016

Or, could be, because the agencies have not all open doors there, or the keys?

posted on Apr 24, 2018, 9:58 AM 2

12. Bankz

Posts: 2550; Member since: Apr 08, 2016

I will buy the huawei p20 pro in a heartbeat. it's the best phone out right now ffs... The best Goddamn phone on the planet.

posted on Apr 24, 2018, 10:03 AM 7

51. xenontetroxide

Posts: 57; Member since: Apr 23, 2018

In other news...The P20Pro loses against the ancient Nokia 808. I can't post URLs right now but it's on allaboutsymbian.

posted on Apr 27, 2018, 1:27 PM 0

13. Bankz

posted on Apr 24, 2018, 10:04 AM 1

17. Venom

Posts: 3684; Member since: Dec 14, 2017

Well said Dr. Phil. I had no intention of getting the P20 myself due to me being more content with the superior Pixel phones, but I find it hypocritical for the government to tell us that when they are just as guilty. People should have the right to choose.

posted on Apr 24, 2018, 10:26 AM 10

23. tangbunna

Posts: 480; Member since: Sep 29, 2016

you should buy this phone because FBI CIA NSA can not follow you as other Android phones.

posted on Apr 24, 2018, 11:06 AM 8

25. TheOracle1

Posts: 2329; Member since: May 04, 2015

Don't buy any smartphone if you don't want to be spied on. The major flaw in their argument is that a custom rom can solve their concerns. P.S. Where does the author get the dumb idea that the P20 doesn't support many LTE bands? Both the Mate and P series have always supported just about every band worldwide. My P10 certainly does.

posted on Apr 24, 2018, 11:33 AM 2

42. tedkord

Posts: 17408; Member since: Jun 17, 2009

Not necessarily. Drivers for the hardware aren't open source, and could have malicious code. They're not easily replaced, either, to get full function.

posted on Apr 24, 2018, 1:56 PM 0

2. Subie

Posts: 2379; Member since: Aug 01, 2015

I'd be more interesting if those agencies would give the specific details on what their security concerns are with Huawei's devices...

posted on Apr 24, 2018, 9:38 AM 16

5. drazwy

We all would, but there's classified tech out there they aren't quite willing to divulge yet. Likely because they use it too. :)

posted on Apr 24, 2018, 9:44 AM 1

11. SIGPRO

Posts: 2817; Member since: Oct 03, 2012

Huawei is already nr 3 in the world they kicked apple to nr 4! So this is just damage control!

posted on Apr 24, 2018, 9:59 AM 4

26. yalokiy

Posts: 1047; Member since: Aug 01, 2016

apple is nr2

posted on Apr 24, 2018, 11:35 AM 1

27. 47AlphaTango

Posts: 734; Member since: Sep 27, 2015

@SIGPRO Unless you have a proof that apple is number 4. Then you are lying! And here's the evidence about the top 10 smartphone brands:https://www.marketing91.com/top-smartphone-brands/ So where's yours?

posted on Apr 24, 2018, 11:36 AM 1

34. SIGPRO

Get tour facts straight! 1: Samsung 2: BBK Electronics 3: Huawei 4: Apple

posted on Apr 24, 2018, 12:35 PM 1

36. midan

Posts: 2981; Member since: Oct 09, 2017

That's false, how could that even be possible when Apple just last q sold 73 million iPhones and huawei 43 million. Quite far don't you think? We all know you are trolling, but try little bit more next time.

posted on Apr 24, 2018, 12:57 PM 0

44. Trex95

Posts: 2383; Member since: Mar 03, 2013

As usual he count cheap end phones and mid range phones as high end phones he’s an Apple heater nothing new lol.

posted on Apr 24, 2018, 3:19 PM 0

45. midan

He should do that, but the sales of Huawei phones are still very far from iPhone sales.

posted on Apr 24, 2018, 3:34 PM 0

37. mootu

Posts: 1527; Member since: Mar 16, 2017

How can you count BBK as one? It's 3 seperate company's competing against each other, controlled by one parent company. Each is a seperate entity. They may share designs etc but that is just cost cutting, they are not the same company.

posted on Apr 24, 2018, 1:04 PM 0

49. 47AlphaTango

@SIGPRO Then where's your evidence that apple was the fourth. And BBK Electronics(Composed of Vivo, Oppo, and oneplus) is the second? You don't have the evidence to support your claims!

posted on Apr 24, 2018, 10:02 PM 0

28. Subie

If that was true they would've done the same to Samsung years ago.

posted on Apr 24, 2018, 11:59 AM 0

33. midan

So who is second? :)

posted on Apr 24, 2018, 12:32 PM 0

50. 47AlphaTango

@midan Then check this:https://www.marketing91.com/top-smartphone-brands/ Smartphone rankings should be based After a years have passed. And the sales would decide which smartphone brands sell well.

posted on Apr 24, 2018, 10:04 PM 0

4. 7.7.7

Posts: 3; Member since: Apr 10, 2018

Unless you're a government employee or something that's not really an issue.

posted on Apr 24, 2018, 9:44 AM 0

31. Crispin_Gatieza

Posts: 3147; Member since: Jan 23, 2014

Not according to our brilliant intelligence agencies. Huawei COULD be spying on you so you shouldn't buy their phones. By that token, I COULD be eaten by a shark so I should never go diving again. I COULD be hit by a drunk driver so I should stay home for the rest of my life. Fear mongering is a special talent the US government possesses so it should come as no surprise that there is ZERO evidence that this spying has ever been perpetrated. Just more of the same from Lord Cheetoh and his minions.