Exclusive Interview with Mr. Blue King
- What is your differentiation in the market? Why do consumers choose your product over the competition?
Ans: HUAWEI is the epitome of innovation and novelty. Our products are an eclectic mix of smart mobility and superior quality. This is what our consumers expect from HUAWEI and we make sure that we surpass their expectations by going the extra mile.
Our goal at HUAWEI is to be better than the best. We bring in cutting-edge technological breakthroughs to take the mobile industry forward. Through our 15 research and development (R&D) centers worldwide, we are able to create remarkable technology that focuses on all our consumer needs.
HUAWEI creates products for everyone across a plethora of price ranges. We listen to what our consumers want and perfect a quality system that is by them, for them.
- Who are your direct and indirect competitors?
Ans: HUAWEI delivers the best experience to people. Over the years, HUAWEI has invested heavily in R&D making it the essence of our business. As a leading technology company, HUAWEI invests 10% of its sales revenue in R&D, much higher than industry standards. During the last 10 years, we have spent USD 45 billion in R&D to create technological marvels.
As a result our phones are state-of-the-art giving people the very best of technology. In 2016, HUAWEI led the dual-camera revolution by partnering with Leica for the P9 series. All other brands followed suit by showcasing dual cameras on their products.
- How your company is planning to bring next innovation in smartphones?
Ans: HUAWEI foresees a smart revolution that will digitalize the world around us. Artificial Intelligence is set to take the world by storm. It will bring unprecedented improvement in consumer experience and upgrade smartphones to intelligent phones.By 2025, around 90% of device users will benefit from personalized services of intelligent phones andHUAWEI is at the forefront of it all.
With that futuristic view, we are the first company to embrace AI technology and bring it to smartphones with the Kirin 970 chipset. It is the first-ever processor made for AI tasks with a dedicated neural processing unit (NPU) that delivers a seamless and ultrafast AI experience.
HUAWEI is also working on the world’s first long lifespan graphene-assisted Li-ion battery. It is able to withstand high temperatures and remain functional in a 60°C environment, while maintaining a single charge for days.
- Which Model of HUAWEI was hot amongst the users throughout the year?
Ans: 2017 was a great year for HUAWEI. Our global market share exceeded 10% cementing our rank as one of the top three players. We captured the second spot globally for three consecutive months i.e. June to August, 2017.
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Our consumer BG expects to generate a revenue of CNY 236 billion in 2017, a year-on-year increase of around 30% while the annual global shipments of HUAWEI smartphones are expected to reach 153 million units.
On the local front, consumers love all our products as we have something for everyone. Whether it is the P10 Series, the Y Series or the Mate 10 Series, we offer our remarkable smartphones across all price points.
Recently, our HUAWEI Mate 10 Series received phenomenal accolades from people and media alike. The range is doing exceptionally well. In the mid-range segment (USD 200/- to 300/-), HUAWEI Mate 10 lite became the bestseller. Along with other HUAWEI devices, our market share in the mid-range segment bumped to 40% in December, 2017.
- How far we could imagine that mobile AI will take smartphones?
Ans: AI is truly futuristic and has endless possibilities for smartphones. It is the most sought-after technological prowess by every smartphone brand, and this means that the industry is yet to see its full potential.
HUAWEI has the first-mover advantage on AI with the introduction of Kirin 970. We put the power of AI in the hands of every consumer through our HUAWEI Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro – thereby making intelligent experiences possible.
- What design changes in smartphones we should expect in 2018, where bezel-less devices rocked in 2017?
Ans: According to our latest Ipsossurvery, people love HUAWEI’s premium design over other brands. Our design philosophy revolves around creating the most top quality products. We craft our handsets with utmost precision using top quality raw materials. As people expect the best from HUAWEI, we aim to deliver the same which is why our products have a class of their own.
We were the first to launch FullView display in mid-range smartphones. In 2018, we aim to go beyond the usual 16:9 screen ratio to give a bigger, more immersive display. A bigger view means that people will have more fun watching videos, browsing internet, playing games or sifting through the favorite memories.
- How do you see the recent tax imposed on mobile phones how would it effect the mobile phone manufacturers?
Ans: Nowadays, technology is catalyzing the growth and development of nations. Accessibility to technology is not only enhancing lives, but also impacting every segment of life positively. Therefore, it is pertinent to have widespread adoption of technological advancements in all strata of society, which is possible through a flexible tax regime. HUAWEI abides by all the laws applicable in Pakistan.
- How 3G and 4G growth has contributed to the growth towards mobile phone market?
Ans: We’re living in the era of smart connectivity. Being the wave-rider in building a better connected world, HUAWEI firmly believes in transforming digital operations. The communications market is full of opportunities.
At present, the Internet is still not available to 3.9 billion people around the world. More than 2.5 billion could not enjoy mobile services; broadband services remain inaccessible to more than 1.1 billion households; and over 300 million households only have access to limited network speeds.
This presents us with a huge prospect of bringing technology to the underserved segment of the society. In Pakistan alone, the advent of 3G and 4G technology has done wonders. It has not only taken the country forward in terms of technological advancement, but has contributed greatly in every sector of life, thereby benefitting the economy and lifestyle of people.
As per the latest figures by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the number of 3G and 4G users in Pakistan stands at 48.19 million (Dec. 2017) while mobile phone users have reached 144.52 million. These figures are extremely favorablefor the mobile phone industry as the growth trend has never ceased.
- What were the biggest challenges for the telecom industry in 2017 and where are the opportunities in 2018?
Ans: We believe that Pakistan is making headways in the technology sector. The market is gearing up to welcome the next big revolution in tech as the environment was never more conducive than it is today.
The race to bring more AI-capable smartphones shall be one of the biggest opportunities this year. It will take smartphone experience to a whole new level. Apart from that, the adoption of 4G technology and 4G-enabled handsets is also a hotbed for technological advancement.
Another breakthrough in smartphones is Augmented / Virtual Reality that gives personalized and immersive experiences to people. We see more and more offerings from smartphone makers having AR abilities, therefore we hope that 2018 shall witness many progressive inroads that will take the mobile phone market to newer heights.
- How the Mobile phonehas revolutionized Pakistani landscape and what is ahead?
The question seems repetitive and has been answered above.
- Do you think that regulator and the ministry are playing their due role in shaping policies that would promote mobile phone market in Pakistan?
Ans: The Ministry of Information Technology (MoIT) and PTA have made tremendous advances in the past few yearsenabling Pakistan to be a frontrunner in regional technological development.
With their consistent efforts, the country has emerged as an important player on the technological front with many foreign companies looking to invest here.
