Huawei’s US Ban Fuels Drive for Self-Sufficiency, Analysts Predict 65% YoY Growth

Initially, something about the launch of the Mate 60 Pro just doesn’t add up. The phone was released without any major announcements or teasers, yet it managed to receive an overwhelmingly positive response. So much so that Huawei has decided to increase its shipments by nearly 20% for the rest of the year, aiming to reach a respectable 6 million units.

To put these numbers into perspective, Huawei’s crown jewel last year, the Mate 50 Pro (yes, the one with no 5G connectivity in 2022), sold a disappointing 2.5 million units in the year after launch. The year before, in 2021, the Mate 40 Pro sold close to 6 million units. If things don’t go south, Huawei might be looking at ~12 million cumulative shipments for the Mate 60 Pro. In fact, the company plans on prepping around 15 million units for this newest flagship alone.

While this may seem like a really positive development on the surface, the company is still far from reaching the level of industry veterans. Huawei still hasn’t been able to pique the interest of the global consumer market the way they did in China, and for reference, Samsung’s S23 Ultra sold close to 38 million units in Europe alone. Even those are Samsung’s worst first-quarter sales figures in over a decade.

Analysts predict that Huawei’s growth will be steady in the coming years. This year, they are expected to sell close to 38 million total smartphone units, which is a 65% YoY increase compared to 2022. In 2024, the situation is expected to become even better, with predictions closing in on 60 million total units, making it the “mobile phone brand with the most robust shipment growth momentum.“

As discussed on various platforms, it seems that the US ban has actually fueled Huawei’s drive for self-sufficiency, which is another reason for its popularity in China. People there see their phones as a source of pride and a symbol that outside intervention can’t hinder their company’s growth.

This is all we know for now, but rest assured that we will keep you updated as new information becomes available.

via: Ming-Chi Kuo