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The Mate 10 Pro is collateral damage in the US trade spat with China (results)

Updated: Apr 23, 2021, 6:16 AM

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We asked you yesterday what do you think about the US going after Huawei, and the Mate 10 Pro in particular, restricting consumer's choice in the process, and whether you consider it blanket fearmongering, or a genuine national security concern. Well, more than half of our 1047 respondents consider it silly to gang up on the 10 Pro, and just 22% think there is a real reason for worry with Huawei's phones aimed for the Western market, yet in the escalating geopolitical spat between US and China, Huawei may end up as collateral damage.

First, it was lawmakers throwing a monkey wrench in Verizon and AT&T's deals to include the Mate 10-series of Huawei in their phone roster. Oh well, there's always Best Buy and other retailers to sell one of the finest phones currently on the market in, said Huawei, and moved to the unlocked handsets tier. It's miniscule compared to the US carrier portfolio turnovers and visibility, but what can you do when you are deemed a threat to national security, and a pawn in the larger Trump administration game with China on trade and security.

Now, however, Best Buy has announced that it will phase out the Mate 10 Pro it sells in its stores and online, just when Huawei lowered the price down to Galaxy S9 levels, and threw in freebies to go with the phone. The current inventory won't be replenished by Best Buy when it runs out, and the abrupt turn of fate for Huawei is most likely no coincidence. The Wall Street Journal tips today, in a suggestive "Who is afraid of Huawei?" post, that the US has started to convince Western allies like Canada and Australia, or random places like the Solomon Islands, to scuttle their plans for ordering Huawei equipment.

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.