Qualcomm’s new flagship 5G chip embraced by major Chinese smartphone makers – except Huawei
- Xiaomi’s upcoming Mi 11smartphone will be one of the first to use the Snapdragon 888 mobile platform, founder Lei Jun said
- China’s No 1 smartphone vendor Huawei Technologies was not among the Chinese vendors showing support for Qualcomm’s new 5G chip
When US 5G chip leader Qualcomm introduced its latest flagship offering for next-generation smartphones on Tuesday, one customer was conspicuous by its absence.
Qualcomm, whose chips are used in smartphones from the likes of Apple and Samsung Electronics, as well as Chinese vendors led by Huawei Technologies, Oppo and Xiaomi, launched the new Snapdragon 888 chip during a virtual event hosted by the US firm on Tuesday.
Senior executives at Chinese companies Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo and Realme said via videos played at the virtual event that they would soon launch smartphone products featuring the Snapdragon 888.
“I’m glad that our new flagship smartphone Mi 11 will be one of the first devices with the Snapdragon 888,” Lei Jun, founder and CEO of Xiaomi, said.
Huawei, China’s No 1 smartphone vendor, was not among the Chinese Android smartphone vendors that showed support for Qualcomm’s new 5G chip. Under sanctions imposed by Washington, US chip suppliers are banned from selling products to Huawei without a licence.
However, Qualcomm has confirmed that it was granted a licence to sell a number of products to Huawei, including some 4G products. The chip supplier did not say if it has received a licence to sell 5G products to the Chinese company.