Huawei Pulls Back on Network Side, but Still Hopes to Build U.S. Brand for Phones

While it is ready to concede that the time isn’t right to crack the US cellular network gear market, Huawei still wants to make a name for itself in the market for smartphones.

Globally, the Chinese firm sells a range of smartphones, including plenty in the middle and higher ends of the market. In the US, though, it has struggled to move beyond entry-level devices, mostly for prepaid carriers such as Cricket’s Leap and T-Mobile’s MetroPCS. “What is stopping us is we don’t have strength of brand at the high end,” said Executive VP Colin Giles, who joined Huawei in July after spending more than a decade running Nokia’s operations in China. The company has tried efforts such as sponsorships and movie tie-ins, but Giles said that changing the perception of the company will take time, and will require a sustained investment. “If you are serious about the US, you need to commit to marketing,” Giles said in an interview.