Newsletter
Chinese smartphone company Huawei has enjoyed a remarkable level of success with its foray into the world of mobile devices. Most recently, Huawei was selected by Google to manufacture its latest Nexus phablet, the Huawei Nexus 6P. Along with its release of the Huawei Watch and its rising popularity in non-Asian markets, the company is looking to expand into other directions. Huawei today announced its plans to spend $1 billion to help fund developers.
Ryan Ding, Huawei’s executive director and president of products and solutions, on Monday spoke on behalf of the company and stated its plans to “help developers create innovative services and rapidly respond to customers’ business needs”. Ding did not specifically comment on exactly what Huawei is looking for in return for its considerable funding. Huawei is, however, using the $1 billion to benefit specifically developers in the fields of information or communication technology, which does not constitute a completely surprising move for the smartphone maker. The money is set to flow to developers over a period of 5 years.
With the recent launch of the Huawei Nexus 6P, Google has handed the Chinese business a sense of trustworthiness in the minds of consumers outside the company’s traditional markets. Nexus smartphones are by now considered a hallmark of Android smartphones and Huawei’s participation is a significant achievement. The Google Nexus line is not manufactured by the search giant itself and the company instead looks for partners to build its devices. Past Nexus devices have seen Google collaborate with OEMs Samsung, HTC, and Motorola. This year’s new devices were developed by returning partner LG and Huawei. Huawei was tapped to make the larger metal flagship Nexus 6P. With the company’s brand name visible on the back of the device, Google’s new handsets could be the first opportunity for American customers to make note of Huawei’s strong presence in the smartphone industry. The company offers smartphones with the Honor brand in markets outside of China.
Other than in its home turf, the Asian manufacturer has been able to generate strong revenue in the Indian market. Its Honor line of handsets is looking to possibly double current revenue in India, signaling strong growth in one of the smartphone industry’s few remaining unsaturated markets. With its $1 billion in support of those on the forefront of innovation in the tech world – developers – Huawei is making sure it will be here for the long haul.