Huawei Makes Major Stride into US Market with AT&T Selling Mate 10

Huawei is one of the world’s largest mobile phone makers, but few Americans have heard of it. This may change soon.

XDA Developers have located code that suggests Huawei’s high-end Mate 10 Pro will be sold by AT&T, America’s second-largest cellular network operator. A related firmware for the Mate 10 Pro includes AT&T’s application and software.

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In recent months, AT&T has been rumored to carry one of Huawei flagship phones in the first half of 2018.

Huawei is the world’s third-largest mobile phone brand, thanks largely to its home base: the Chinese market. Huawei sold 39 million smartphones in the third quarter, seven million fewer than Apple, according to market-research firm IDC.

The Mate 10 Pro is a large-screen flagship phone that competes directly with the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Google Pixel 2XL and Apple iPhone 8 Plus. It has a 6-inch display in an aspect ratio of 18:9. Like most phones this year, it is a full-screen model with a narrow frame.

The Mate 10 Pro uses Huawei’s original Kirin 970 processor, which performs at the same level as Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835. The Kirin 970 has a neural processing unit, or NPU, which is said to improve its AI functions, battery life and overall performance.

Huawei was also the first major phone maker to roll out dual cameras. Months before Apple released the iPhone 7 Plus, Huawei unveiled a P9 phone with two rear Leica cameras.

Technically, Huawei has been selling phones in the US since 2014, but most phones have been cheap models available through direct online sale.

As many as 90 percent of all phones sold in America are sold by the carrier. Being carried by AT&T would mark Huawei’s first real foray into the US market.

Huawei didn’t respond to a request for comment, and AT&T declined as well.