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Telecoms stalwart China Mobile (HKEx: 941; NYSE: CHL) and up-and-comer Xiaomi are creating new buzz in the sector these last few days, as speculation builds that the former may be near a long-awaited deal with Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) to finally offer the iPhone on its network. Meantime, Xiaomi is making headlines with word that it expects its revenue to double this year, following a strong reception for Hongmi, its latest smartphone that retails for just 799 yuan or about $130. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on August 13. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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We’ve been reading all year about how China is set to overtake the US to become the world’s largest smartphone market in 2013, and now we’re seeing some numbers that tell the story more vividly. The latest figures on China’s smartphone market show Apple’s (Nasdaq: AAPL) position slumping in the second quarter, as sales have surged for a field of domestic players cranking out millions of cheap models, many selling for less than 1,000 yuan ($160 )each. Up-and-coming smartphone maker Xiaomi entered that part of the market just 2 weeks ago with its introduction of the Hongmi, which retails for just 799 yuan. (previous post) Read Full Post…
Embattled telecoms equipment maker Huawei is hoping that Britain will become the key turning point in its quest for acceptance by the west, based on its recent flurry of initiatives there designed to show portray itself as a good corporate citizen. I’ve been reporting on China for a while now, and will openly say that Huawei is certainly doing a good job of trying to look like a western-style company by highlighting its contributions to the markets where it does business. Among the companies I follow, only PC giant Lenovo (HKEx: 992) engages in a similar level of this kind of PR. Read Full Post…
China should be proud of itself for recently using negotiations to avoid a trade war with the EU over solar panels; but it is quickly falling back into old behavioral patterns that could cause a similar dispute involving telecoms equipment to quickly become a new crisis. My suggestion to Beijing is to seize the momentum from the recent solar success to quickly open new negotiations to try and resolve the new looming dispute over telecoms equipment sold in the EU by industry leaders Huawei and ZTE (HKEx: 763; Shenzhen: 000063). But instead of taking such a proactive approach, we’re seeing signs that Beijing is falling back into its old habit of not doing anything and instead waiting until a new crisis erupts before taking any action to try and resolve the matter. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on August 2. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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Stability has become the buzzword of the moment for Chinese tech firms, which appears to be the driving factor behind the positive receptions for what otherwise look like so-so results from online search leader Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU) and telecoms equipment giant Huawei. In Baidu’s case, the company has been hit by slowing revenue growth and evaporating profits in the last few quarters caused by growing competition and a sharp slowdown in ad spending. Huawei, meantime, is fighting a sluggish global economy and also growing resistance in the US and Europe to its core networking equipment. Read Full Post…
I’ve been reporting on China’s cellphone market long enough to know that change can come suddenly and without much warning, and that a superstar one day might be struggling for survival just a year or two later. Such transformations often come in waves, and it appears the newest shake-up could be coming as consumers start to shun prestigious high-end smartphones in favor of booming lower-end models that perform many of the same functions for a fraction of the price. China’s slowing economy could cause the trend to accelerate, since many consumers are now looking for ways to cut back their spending due to uncertainty about the future. Read Full Post…
China’s top 2 telecoms equipment makers appear to be losing their patience with growing hostility from the west, with Huawei making unusually frank remarks about its frustrations as ZTE (HKEx: 763) announces a major new initiative in the friendlier India market. I’m not surprised at all by this latest turn of events, as both companies are probably realizing they won’t be making any major inroads into the US networking equipment market anytime soon. To make matters worse, both are facing growing resistance in the lucrative Western European markets as well, where Huawei had previously made strong progress. Read Full Post…
The inevitable price wars may finally be coming to China’s smartphone market, in an all-too-common pattern seen time and again for popular new products. Media have been so busy reporting about how China will become the world’s biggest smartphone market this year that no one has really stepped back to examine the phenomenon and why it’s happening. At least one media is finally doing that, and reporting that inventories are suddenly building up to dangerous levels at the homegrown smartphone makers that are the main force behind China’s recent smartphone boom. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on June 27. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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