Huawei Expects Robust 2016 Performance

Chinese smartphone and tablet maker Huawei revealed its expected 2016 annual performance figures. For 2016, they predict sales revenue of 178 billion CYN, 42% up from a year ago, achieving steady revenue growth for the fifth consecutive year.

Smartphone shipments also reached 139 million units with 29% year-on-year growth; according to IDC, the increasing rate of global smartphone shipments was only 0.6% in 2016, which means they're outperforming the overall market. Also, according to data released in October by GfK, Huawei’s global smartphone market share rose to 11.3%.

In addition to increasing product leadership and premium brand influence at a global level, in 2016 Chinese company built on its success in the European high-end market and achieved steady growth in many markets around the world. Huawei’s overseas smartphone shipments roughly equaled domestic shipments and its mid to high-end handset shipments rose to 36% of overall shipments.

In Europe, Huawei has achieved great breakthroughs in the European high-end market thanks to strong sales of P9 and P9 Plus. GfK data showed that they currently hold over 15% market share in 33 countries and over 20% in another 18 countries, almost half of which are European.

In North-east Europe and Western Europe, their market share exceeded 15% and 10% respectively. Particularly in some Northern European countries the company holds a leading market share and in the UK, France, Germany and other key high-end markets, has made significant progress.

In 2016, Huawei has focused on developing meaningful innovations and has made breakthroughs in the areas of operating system (EMUI based on Android), dual-camera technology, artificial intelligence and more. Thanks to these technological advancements, Huawei’s flagship products like P9 and Mate 9 have achieved global recognition with consumers.

P9 and P9 Plus global shipments exceeded 10 million units, making them the first Huawei flagship handsets to break 10 million sales. Mate 9 series, shortly after launching in November 2016, has received overwhelming demand and its sales in the first two months were 50% higher than those of Mate 8 for the same period.

In addition to its smartphone business, in 2016 Huawei proactively developed in fields like PC/tablets, wearables, smart home, Internet of Vehicles. Innovative products like the MateBook also received a positive reception from consumers.

The company’s tablet business increased dramatically despite wider negative conditions in 2016 and recorded strong performance across both B2B and B2C areas. Total shipments exceeded 10 million units in 2016 with 90% growth year-on-year.

For smart home, the HiLink-centered smart home eco-platform has been adopted by Haier, Gree and other mainstream home appliance leaders, forming an ecological prototype. Huawei’s automotive innovations also attracted international tier one brands like Audi and Volkswagen.

In 2017, Huawei will continue to put consumer needs first and enhance its consumer-facing capabilities in the channel, retail, brand, marketing and services. This will strengthen its business base and streamline its operations and customer service.

In the meantime, Huawei is well-positioned to continue its presence in the smartphone, wearable, smart home and cloud markets, with the aim of becoming an end-to-end solutions and platform service provider, offering consumers a more convenient and intelligent way to connect their lives.