Huawei, Oppo and Vivo cut 4Q smartphone orders by 10% amid weaker global sales

Three of China's major smartphone producers, Huawei, Oppo and Vivo, have cut their smartphone orders for the fourth calendar quarter by 10%. This information comes from sources related to the manufacturers' upstream suppliers. With global demand for smartphones not exactly red hot, the first quarter of 2018 is also expected to show weakness for the trio of Chinese handset producers. Huawei, which at times this year was ranked as the world's second largest smartphone manufacturer ahead of Apple, recently confirmed that its high-end Mate 10 Pro will be offered by stateside carriers.

Oppo is reverting back to focusing on online sales after an attempt to ring up its handsets in China's physical stores failed. Thus, the manufacturer is working with e-commerce stars like Amazon and Flipkart to bolster its online presence. Vivo also is suffering through this period of soft demand.

One Chinese smartphone manufacturer that has bucked the trend is Xiaomi. Yesterday, we passed along the exciting news that the company is beginning to talk with U.S. carriers about finally selling its flagship models in the U.S., starting sometime within the next two years. Thanks to a balanced discipline that relies on both online sales and its presence inside stores, Xiaomi has been able to avoid the downtrend that its rivals inside China are facing.

source: Digitimes