Huawei Mate 10 Pro Won't Be Sold In The US Through AT&T

Rumors have been brewing for some time now that Chinese phone maker Huawei will officially make its Mate 10 Pro flagship available in the United States through U.S. carriers. Now, the smartphone maker has confirmed that that will no longer be the case.

Huawei confirmed the news at CES 2018 in Las vegas, Nevada. “We remain committed in this market now and in the future. U.S. consumers need a better choice, and as a leader in technology and innovation, Huawei is prepared to fill this need,” the company said in a statement provided to Reuters.

Huawei appears to be committed to sell the Huawei Mate 10 Pro in the U.S., but through the open channel. The Mate 10 Pro as well as Huawei’s other phones will only be available as unlocked devices from various online stores like Amazon and from Huawei’s own online store. That may be good news for consumers, but that not might bode well for Huawei.

The company has been trying to penetrate the U.S. market for years now and its success hinges on selling its phones through carriers. It was heavily rumored that AT&T would be selling Huawei’s flagship smartphone in the U.S., but it looks like the carrier backed out of the potential deal.

Huawei was supposed to announce its deal with AT&T during CES 2018 this week, but AT&T apparently canceled its arrangement with the Chinese phone maker. The Wall Street Journal and The Verge both reported that AT&T backed out of the deal for some unknown reason.

According to The Information, Huawei’s smartphone deal with AT&T was killed by “political pressure.” Members of the Senate and the House intelligence committees actually sent out a letter on Dec. 20 to the FCC raising concerns over Huawei’s alleged ties to the Chinese government and its intelligence and security services. Huawei has denied these allegations for years now, but it looks like AT&T was unwilling to take the risk.