Huawei Said to Be in Early-Stage Talks to Sell Its Premium Smartphone Sub-Brands P and Mate

• Huawei has yet to make a final decision on the sale
• Huawei is the world’s biggest telecoms equipment vendor
• The Honor sale was aimed at keeping the budget brand alive

The Honor sale was aimed at keeping the budget brand alive

China’s Huawei Technologies is in early-stage talks to sell its premium smartphone brands P and Mate, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said, a move that could see the company eventually exit from the high-end smartphone-making business.

The talks between the world’s largest telecommunications equipment maker and a consortium led by Shanghai government-backed investment firms have been going on for months, the people said, declining to be identified as the discussions were confidential.

Huawei started to internally explore the possibility of selling the brands as early as last September, according to one of the sources. The two sources were not privy to the valuation placed on the brands by Huawei.