Huawei P20, P20 Pro makes $15M in 10 seconds of sales
Huawei's triple-camera phone is going after the Galaxy S9 and leaving the US behind.
The Huawei P20 and P20 Pro phones are off to a strong start, according to a press release Huawei recently shared with media, making roughly 100 million RMB (or yuan) in the first 10 seconds of a flash sale. That's over $15 million, £11 million or AU$20 million.
Huawei released the phones in its home base, China, last Thursday, where the P20 and P20 Pro "generated more than 100 million RMB in sales on Huawei's Vmall within the first 10 seconds the two devices were made available for purchase on the e-commerce platform," Huawei recently reported.
Huawei's early sales success could be a clear win against the US government, whose top intelligent chiefs jointly urged Americans not to buy Huawei phones over spying concerns. While the chief of Huawei's consumer business, Richard Yu, told CNET the phonemaker won't quit the US, he has also said the company could surpass Samsung as the world's largest smartphone maker without having a presence in the States.
US government pressure also reportedly torpedoed deals with carriers AT&T and Verizon along with retailer Best Buy, who will not sell Huawei phones like the P20 and P20 Pro. Huawei laid off several key US employees as a result. In addition, the company is blocked from selling its networking equipment in the US.
The premium Huawei P20 Pro stands out for its three cameras on the back, 3X optical zoom, top-of-the-line features and a flashy iridescent color you can't buy on any competing phone. Meanwhile, the smaller, stepped-down Huawei P20 has two rear cameras and the same standout "twilight" shade.
The Huawei P20 costs £599 (about $855 and AU$1,100) while the Huawei P20 Pro costs £799 (which converts to about $1,140 and AU$1,470).
Huawei didn't confirm how many P20 devices it sold, but its CEO has previously said that the company is hoping to sell 20 million units in total. The company is already the third largest smartphone brand in the world, according to IDC.
[Via Gizmo China]
First published April 17, 2018 at 1:48 p.m. PT.
Update 2:24 p.m. PT: Adds details from Huawei's press release.
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