Huawei Reportedly Passed On Google’s Pixel Smartphones

Huawei has worked with Google on Nexus devices in the past but a new report suggests that the company passed on the opportunity to work with Google on its new Pixel smartphones. This is the first time that Google will be launching smartphones under the Pixel brand and it’s meant to send out a message that Google is serious about its hardware ambitions. Huawei was reportedly offered the chance to work with Google on Pixel smartphones but negotiations between the two companies fell through.

It was rumored at one point that Huawei might be the manufacturer of the 2016 Nexus smartphones. AndroidPolice hears from a source that talks between the companies fell through when Google demanded that partners logos will not be placed on the new phones.

The report also mentions that the partnership between Huawei and Google for the Nexus 6P never fully materialized. Google reportedly told the Chinese company that it would get the flagship Nexus smartphone on all four major carriers in the country and Huawei saw it as a way to break into the lucrative U.S. market. Talks between Google and the carriers are said to have broken down which is why the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X were never sold through major carriers.

They put the entire episode behind them and started talking about a partnership for the 2016 lineup. Google wouldn’t budge on one rule: It wouldn’t allow Huawei’s logo or name on the device or even on the marketing materials. This didn’t sit well with Huawei and the report claims that CEO Richard Yu himself ended negotiations with Google after it wouldn’t budge on this rule.

Neither Huawei nor Google have officially commented on this report yet.

Adnan Farooqui
Categories: Cellphones
Tags: Google, Huawei, nexus 6p