Apple's Chinese rival Huawei sees manufacturing snag ahead of flagship phone launch: report

Huawei's manufacturing woes

Chinese tech giant Huawei is facing production delays for its upcoming flagship smartphone, the Huawei Mate 50, due to supply chain issues and COVID-19 lockdowns in China, according to a report by Nikkei Asia.

The report cites sources familiar with the matter who say that Huawei has been struggling to secure components from suppliers due to the ongoing global chip shortage and the impact of the pandemic on logistics.

As a result, production of the Mate 50 has been delayed by several weeks, and the phone is now expected to be launched in September or October, later than Huawei's original target of July or August.

Impact on Huawei's business

The delay is a setback for Huawei, which is hoping to use the Mate 50 to regain market share it has lost in recent years due to US sanctions.

The sanctions have cut Huawei off from key components and technologies, including Google's Android operating system, and have made it difficult for the company to compete with rivals such as Apple and Samsung.

The Mate 50 is seen as a crucial product for Huawei, as it will be the first flagship phone to launch since the company was placed on the US Entity List in 2019.

Huawei's response

Huawei has not publicly commented on the production delays, but it has said that it is "working hard to overcome the challenges" and that it is "committed to delivering high-quality products to our customers."

The company has also been investing heavily in its own chip design and manufacturing capabilities, in an effort to reduce its reliance on external suppliers.

Analysts' views

Analysts say that the production delays are a sign of the challenges that Huawei is facing due to the US sanctions.

However, they also note that the company has a strong track record of innovation and that it is likely to find ways to overcome these challenges in the long term.

"Huawei is a resilient company and it has a lot of experience in dealing with adversity," said one analyst. "I believe that they will eventually be able to overcome these challenges and continue to be a major player in the global smartphone market."