A deep look at how Huawei not only survived crippling sanctions but re-emerged as a global tech force.
In 2019, Huawei — one of the world’s leading tech companies — was dealt what many analysts called a near-fatal blow: the United States placed it on the Entity List, effectively blocking its access to Google’s Android ecosystem and key semiconductor technologies. The immediate result? Huawei’s flagship smartphones could no longer ship with Google Mobile Services (including Gmail, Google Maps, the Play Store) — a deal-breaker in global markets outside China.
At the time, pundits wrote obituaries. Critics said Huawei’s smartphone business was finished. But fast-forward to 2024 and 2025, and what once looked like a near-death experience has turned into one of the most remarkable comebacks in modern tech history.
The Fallout: Sanctions That Hit Hard
The 2019 sanctions didn’t just cut off access to Google services — they hampered Huawei’s ability to buy advanced chips and U.S.-made software. Global smartphone sales plummeted, and the once-unstoppable phone maker was forced to sell off parts of its business just to keep afloat.
Richard Yu, head of Huawei’s consumer business, later described those years as incredibly difficult, with annual shipments plunging and the company scrambling to stay relevant.
HarmonyOS: The Game-Changer
Rather than waiting for sanctions to lift, Huawei doubled down on building its own ecosystem. At the center of its strategy was HarmonyOS — a fully in-house operating system designed initially to replace Android on Huawei devices and eventually to power an entire connected ecosystem.
What once might have seemed like a forced pivot turned into a major strategic advantage:
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By mid-2024, Huawei announced that HarmonyOS was running on around 900 million devices, including phones, tablets, wearables, TVs, and IoT products.
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HarmonyOS captured a meaningful share of the Chinese mobile OS market, surpassing Apple’s iOS domestically and becoming the second-largest mobile platform in China.
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Later announcements put HarmonyOS beyond the 1 billion device mark, signaling a rapidly expanding ecosystem.
Instead of depending on Android, Huawei embraced full independence — reimagining its software stack and convincing developers to build native apps for its platform.
Smartphone Revival: Mate Series and Domestic Clout
Huawei’s smartphone comeback has been powered by renewed success in the Chinese market. Following the launch of standout devices like the Mate 60 Pro and later the Mate 70 series, Huawei’s shipments surged. Data from industry analysts shows that in early 2024 Huawei reclaimed a top position among China’s smartphone vendors with strong year-on-year growth.
Couple that with the return of premium features like advanced cameras, two-way satellite communications, and self-developed Kirin chips, and you get a strong local preference for “buying Chinese tech” — not just from patriotic consumers but also from mainstream buyers tired of paywalls and geopolitical restrictions.
Revenue Rebounds and Strategic Diversification
Huawei’s comeback isn’t just about devices — it’s showing up in the numbers. In 2024, the company reported revenue of around ¥862 billion ($118 billion USD) — nearly back to its pre-sanctions peak — with a sharp rise in its consumer business and growth in areas including 5G infrastructure, cloud services, and intelligent automotive solutions.
Profit margins were down slightly due to heavy investment in R&D and new technology, but the strategy is clear: Huawei is investing for long-term technological independence, not short-term profit.
Beyond Phones: Building a New Tech Empire
A comeback that’s only about smartphones would be a decent story. But Huawei’s ambitions are bigger:
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AppGallery, Huawei’s alternative to Google Play, has grown rapidly with thousands of native HarmonyOS apps — a huge milestone considering where it started.
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HarmonyOS is now powering laptops, smart home devices, watches, and cars, creating an integrated ecosystem that mirrors the strategy of Apple while maintaining openness to hardware partners.
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Huawei’s automotive tech and smart-driving solutions — developed with state-owned automakers — are drawing attention and revenue, with the company positioning itself as a mobility software and hardware provider, not just a phone maker.
The Bigger Picture: A New Kind of Global Competition
Huawei’s comeback reflects broader shifts in the global tech landscape:
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Decoupling — Major tech powers are less dependent on each other, especially between the U.S. and China.
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Ecosystems matter more than hardware alone — owning the platform can be more powerful than owning the device.
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Geopolitics influences tech adoption — Huawei’s resurgence is partly driven by domestic policy and market support in China, illustrating how politics + tech strategy shape industries.
And yet, despite its success at home, Huawei still faces challenges abroad, where lack of Google services and restrictions on access to advanced chips remain obstacles.
Why Huawei Matters Today
Huawei’s journey — from being cut off from Android to powering nearly a billion connected devices — isn’t just a comeback; it’s a lesson in resilience, strategic innovation, and long-term thinking.
For tech watchers, investors, and curious consumers alike, Huawei’s story shows that when a giant is pushed into a corner, it can reinvent itself — and in doing so, reshape entire segments of the global tech industry.
Author’s Note
As someone who has lived through several major waves of technological change — from the rise of personal computers to smartphones and now AI — Huawei’s story struck me as more than just a business comeback. It’s a reminder that innovation often accelerates under pressure. When familiar paths are cut off, new ones are forced into existence.
Whether one agrees with Huawei’s politics or not, its ability to rebuild an entire ecosystem from the ground up deserves careful attention. In a world where technology and geopolitics are increasingly intertwined, this is not just Huawei’s story — it may well be a preview of how future tech giants are forged.
— David
From Google Ban to 900 Million Devices: Huawei’s Unstoppable Comeback
4 Daily News
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