Spurned by US carriers, Huawei sets world’s lowest price for its unlocked flagship smartphone
Telecommunications equipment maker Huawei has signed up a group of major US electronics retailers to distribute and promote its Mate 10 Pro Android model in the world’s third-largest smartphone market
Huawei Technologies, China’s largest smartphone supplier, is now offering an unlocked version of its flagship Mate 10 Pro model for pre-orders with a steep discount and some incentives to US consumers, following the company’s failed bid to establish distribution through a major American mobile network operator.
The Mate 10 Pro’s US$799.99 price tag makes it 20 per cent cheaper to buy in the US than either in Europe, where it costs €799 (US$995), or in China, where it sells for 5,399 yuan (US$856).
US pre-orders, which run from February 5 to 17, come with a US$150 gift card from retailers, making the Mate 10 Pro’s effective purchase price at about US$650 – the lowest it is available globally.
That promotion may help bolster the Huawei flagship Android model’s appeal to US consumers when compared against Apple’s iPhone X, which is priced from US$999, in the world’s third-largest smartphone market after China and India.
In a statement on Monday, Huawei said US pre-orders for its Mate 10 Pro are available in-store and online at major electronics retailers including Amazon, BestBuy, Microsoft, Newegg and B&H. The Mate 10 Pro will start shipping to US customers from February 18.