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Huawei exceeds 200 million smartphone shipments, setting company record

It credits the success of its P20 and Honor 10 phones, among others.

Abrar Al-Heeti Technology Reporter
Abrar Al-Heeti is a technology reporter for CNET, with an interest in phones, streaming, internet trends, entertainment, pop culture and digital accessibility. She's also worked for CNET's video, culture and news teams. She graduated with bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Though Illinois is home, she now loves San Francisco -- steep inclines and all.
Expertise Abrar has spent her career at CNET analyzing tech trends while also writing news, reviews and commentaries across mobile, streaming and online culture. Credentials
  • Named a Tech Media Trailblazer by the Consumer Technology Association in 2019, a winner of SPJ NorCal's Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2022 and has three times been a finalist in the LA Press Club's National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards.
Abrar Al-Heeti
2 min read
honor-10-product-hoyle-9

Phones like the Huawei Honor 10 have helped the phone maker set a new shipment record for itself.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Huawei has set a record for itself by shipping more than 200 million smartphones in 2018, the company said in a statement Sunday.

The Chinese phone maker said the numbers were largely driven by the success of products like its P20Honor 10 and Mate 20 series. 

Huawei's smartphone shipments have grown from 3 million units in 2010, it added. Last year, it said it sold 153 million units. The company overtook Apple in the second quarter of 2018 to become the world's second largest phone vendor, according to researcher Canalys.

"In the global smartphone market, Huawei has gone from being dismissed as a statistical 'other' to ranking among the Top 3 players in the world," Huawei said in its statement.

Watch this: The best Android phone around? Meet the Huawei Mate 20 Pro

Despite its successes this year, Huawei has still faced some challenges, particularly with the US government. In February, US intelligence officials advised Americans not to purchase Huawei products out of fear they're being used to spy for the Chinese government. In January, AT&T pulled out of a deal to sell the Huawei Mate 10 Pro, and Verizon reportedly followed suit.

Still, Huawei is popular in places like China and Europe. More than 500 million people in over 170 countries use Huawei phones, according to the company. 

In August, the company raised its shipment forecast for 2018 from 180 million to 200 million, and said it aims to become the world's largest phone vendor by the end of 2019.

Huawei Mate 20 Pro review: An elite phone with the looks to match.

Huawei overtakes Apple: It becomes the No. 2 phone seller in the world.