Avoid Huawei, ZTE and Other Chinese Smartphones
If you’re looking for a new smartphone, six US intelligence chiefs have advised you to probably avoid buying a smartphone from Chinese manufacturers Huawei or ZTE. Sure, they have good screens and good prices, but a smartphone isn’t just about size. In addition, they can pose a cybersecurity hazard.
This CNBC report cites testimony from the heads of the CIA, FBI and NSA, as well as the director of national security, who have all expressed concerns about the use of smartphones from the two Chinese manufacturers. In short, companies are suspected of using their devices to potentially track people, steal information, and create communication problems.
As a result of government suspicion of Huawei, it struggled to sell its phones in America, with Verizon becoming the last wireless carrier to dump its devices due to government pressure. This means you can’t just walk into your wireless carrier’s retail or online store to buy them; you will have to buy these devices directly from Huawei and ZTE (an inconvenience you really shouldn’t worry about).
Why you shouldn’t get them anyway
Government suspicions aside, you should also stay away from them, simply because there are better options. There are other factors to consider when buying a smartphone beyond screen size or processing power. Support for upgrades, hardware accessory ecosystems, and resale value must also be included in the purchase process.
The brand and popularity of a phone (which Huawei lacks in America) matters when you’re looking for accessories like cases, mounts, and other compatible items and don’t want to pay extra to buy one from a phone manufacturer. , or some fake product on eBay. Buying a phone from a relatively unknown smartphone manufacturer makes finding compatible accessories at competitive prices much more difficult.
In addition, Chinese smartphone brands almost always have lower resale values than more popular models such as the Samsung Galaxy series or Apple’s iPhones. And as someone who has sold more than a few smartphones at one time, let me tell you: no one needs your unbranded Chinese smartphone. Apparently even in the United States.
If you’re looking for a capable Android device, buying one that uses a custom Android skin (like Huawei’s EMUI software based on Android 8.0) also makes you less likely to get the most recent version of the operating system. worry less about choosing a smartphone from a company like Google or Samsung. Obviously, you could go to Apple and get an iPhone 8 for about the same price as Huawei’s new Mate 10 Pro , but with better cameras and a more extensive software and hardware ecosystem to choose from.