• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

The U.S. campaigned to host the World Cup. Now soccer fans will trade their countries' train system for the U.S.'s 'D' rated infrastructure

2

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

3

The pig in the python: Baby boomers are strangling the economy they built by refusing to move or retire

1

The U.S. campaigned to host the World Cup. Now soccer fans will trade their countries' train system for the U.S.'s 'D' rated infrastructure

2

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

3

The pig in the python: Baby boomers are strangling the economy they built by refusing to move or retire
Tech

Here’s How Huawei’s Latest Bevy of Smartphones Undercut Apple and Samsung

By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 16, 2017, 9:25 AM ET

China’s Huawei has unveiled a new line of smartphones that match or even improve on key features offered by Apple or Samsung while undercutting their rivals on price.

Huawei aims to distinguish itself through technological advances that will put it on a level playing field with the most coveted premium-priced devices, helping to boost profitability that has been undermined by heavy discounting in the chase for market share.

Monday’s product launch in Munich introduced Huawei’s new Mate 10 series, touting high-end cameras, screens, and batteries, but at prices 15-30% below more or less comparable Apple and Samsung smartphones.

Huawei was the world’s No.3 smartphone maker by shipments last year, temporarily overtaking Apple as No.2 in June as consumers awaited the new iPhone 8 and iPhone X lineup, data from Counterpoint Research shows.

With Apple’s latest models now on the market, Huawei has weighed in with the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro, featuring, respectively, 5.9-inch and 6-inch edge-to-edge displays, as well as fast-charging batteries that sustain two days of heavy use.

“The Mate 10 line ticks all the boxes in terms of screen size, high-quality camera, powerful processor and slick design – competing with rival products from Samsung and to some extent, Apple,” said CCS Insight mobile analyst Ben Wood.

Perhaps the most distinctive features of the Mate 10 series is its image recognition capability—an artificial intelligence feature that can tell the difference between people, flowers, or other objects in different light or weather conditions. The Mate 10 also boasts cameras with high-grade Leica f1.6 aperture lenses.

“We have the ability to start helping the novice become a professional-grade photographer,” Peter Gauden, a senior Huawei product marketing manager, said at an advance product briefing. “(It) is not only a smartphone, it is an intelligent machine.”

PRICING AND PROFITABILITY

In March, Huawei vowed to focus on profit margins and reduce spending this year after posting its slowest profit growth in five years in 2016.

Though it has become more focused on mid-tier and premium phones and reduced its appetite for market share at any cost, it still has a long way to go.

Apple (AAPL) captures nearly two thirds of the smartphone industry’s profits and Samsung accounts for almost a quarter while Huawei and Chinese rivals operate on meagre margins of about 4%, Counterpoint Research estimates.

Those modest margins put a cap on how far Huawei can go with further discounting.

China’s largest smartphone maker is looking to sustain its momentum in international markets such as Europe while also differentiating itself from fast-growing domestic rivals through technical advances.

“Today our product is getting better and better, but the challenge for us is our branding,” Huawei Consumer Business Group chief Richard Yu told Reuters last month. “Our brand, many people don’t know that, they don’t know Huawei.”

Huawei’s European growth exceeded 50% in the first half of 2017, outpacing other regions, Yu said, adding that European sales had helped to compensate for sluggish growth in emerging markets.

The Mate 10, priced at 699 euros ($825), will go on sale in 15 countries this month, ranging from Spain to the Gulf states, Australia and southeast Asia, Huawei said.

The slightly more feature-rich Mate 10 Pro will be priced at 799 euros and start to ship in mid-November to 20-plus countries, including Germany, France, Italy, as well as Asian and Middle East nations. The company also said it will offer a luxury Porsche Design edition at 1,395 euros.

Samsung’s comparable top-of-the-line phone, the Galaxy Note 8, is priced at 999 euros in Germany. Apple’s smaller-screened iPhone 8 starts at 799 euros while the iPhone 8 Plus is 909 euros and the iPhone X starts at 1,149 euros on the company’s German website.

About the Author
By Reuters
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Sam Altman, wearing a suit, speaks in front of a dark red background.
AIOpenAI
Sam Altman and Dario Amodei are both walking back their AI jobs apocalypse prophecies as they eye blockbuster IPOs
By Sasha RogelbergMay 26, 2026
2 hours ago
Mark Cuban speaks onstage during a conference in Austin
CryptoBitcoin
Billionaire Mark Cuban says bye-bye Bitcoin: Why he is ‘disappointed’ by crypto
By Jack KubinecMay 26, 2026
2 hours ago
tt
InnovationRare Earth Metal
America’s manufacturing Achilles’ heel: McKinsey’s warning on rare earths grows louder
By Nick LichtenbergMay 26, 2026
3 hours ago
As China bets its future on AI by cutting arts degrees, Jensen Huang says parents shouldn’t worry about what their kids study
AIJensen Huang
As China bets its future on AI by cutting arts degrees, Jensen Huang says parents shouldn’t worry about what their kids study
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMay 26, 2026
4 hours ago
Largest study of AI hiring algorithms to date finds ‘clear racial disparities’ — over 25% of Black applicants tainted by bias
AIHiring
Largest study of AI hiring algorithms to date finds ‘clear racial disparities’ — over 25% of Black applicants tainted by bias
By Nick LichtenbergMay 26, 2026
4 hours ago
andrew macdonald
AITech
Uber burned through its entire 2026 AI budget in four months. Now its COO is questioning whether it’s worth it
By Jake AngeloMay 26, 2026
4 hours ago

Most Popular

The U.S. campaigned to host the World Cup. Now soccer fans will trade their countries' train system for the U.S.'s 'D' rated infrastructure
Travel & Leisure
The U.S. campaigned to host the World Cup. Now soccer fans will trade their countries' train system for the U.S.'s 'D' rated infrastructure
By Catherina GioinoMay 25, 2026
1 day ago
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
Success
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
By Preston ForeMay 21, 2026
5 days ago
The pig in the python: Baby boomers are strangling the economy they built by refusing to move or retire
Economy
The pig in the python: Baby boomers are strangling the economy they built by refusing to move or retire
By Nick LichtenbergMay 25, 2026
2 days ago
The Supreme Court handed Trump a Golden Chariot on tariffs — now he just has to take it
Commentary
The Supreme Court handed Trump a Golden Chariot on tariffs — now he just has to take it
By Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven TianMay 26, 2026
12 hours ago
A billionaire and an A-list actor found refuge in a 37-home Florida neighborhood with armed guards—proof that privacy is now the ultimate luxury
Real Estate
A billionaire and an A-list actor found refuge in a 37-home Florida neighborhood with armed guards—proof that privacy is now the ultimate luxury
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMay 25, 2026
1 day ago
Elon Musk's best friend could make more than $100 billion from SpaceX's IPO. His firm is also owed billions by SpaceX
Investing
Elon Musk's best friend could make more than $100 billion from SpaceX's IPO. His firm is also owed billions by SpaceX
By Eva RoytburgMay 25, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.