Less than 100 units sold in half a month! Huawei's OEM phone sales are dismal

June 6, 2022

Core tip: The phone is TD Tech/TD Tech M40, starting at 3999 yuan. Times Finance learned that this is not a copycat phone, but a Huawei OEM mobile phone.
Recently, a mobile phone that looks almost identical to the Huawei Mate 40 has attracted market attention.

The phone is TD Tech/TD Tech M40, priced from 3999 yuan. Times Finance learned that this is not a copycat phone, but a Huawei OEM mobile phone.

TD Tech M40 is a mobile phone of TD Tech Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as TD Tech). Tianyancha shows that it is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Hong Kong company TD TECH HOLDING LIMITED, whose shareholders are Siemens and Huawei.

Currently, the CEO of TD Tech is Deng Biao, who has served in Huawei for many years, and its director Xu Zhijun is also Huawei's vice chairman.

TD Tech M40 went on sale on May 13, with 8GB+128GB and 8GB+256GB versions priced at 3,999 yuan and 4,499 yuan respectively. On June 1, JD.com's official in-store list showed that nearly 100 TD Tech M40 8GB+256GB versions were sold in 30 days, but the sales of 8GB+128GB were not shown.

In addition, TD Tech does not have flagship stores on Tmall or Suning.com. Clicking "Buy" on the company's official website will directly jump to the flagship store on JD.com.

6.5-inch OLED curved screen, 4200 mAh battery, rear three-camera lens module, these configurations of TD Tech M40 are the same as Huawei Mate 40, with bright black, glaze white, secret silver color, Huawei Mate 40 also has the same color and name Consistent.

The difference is that the chip of Huawei Mate 40 is Kirin 9000E, while TD Tech M40 is equipped with Dimensity 1000+. There is no Leica image, and the system is not Hongmeng. In terms of price, the official price of Huawei Mate 40 is 4999 yuan for the same 8GB+128GB version.

Dimensity 1000+ is a chip launched by MediaTek in 2020 and is now outdated. For example, the Redmi K30 Extreme Commemorative Edition is equipped with Dimensity 1000+, while the upgraded Redmi K50 series uses Dimensity 8100 and Dimensity 9000, and the starting price is only 2399 yuan.

Recently, Times Finance visited a Huawei store in Shenzhen. The TD Tech M40 in the store also starts at 3,999 yuan and has a new product label.

The clerk Xiaomei said that this phone belongs to the Huawei Smart Selection series. Except for the chip, other configurations are basically the same as the Huawei Mate 40. She revealed that the TD Tech M40 uses Huawei's technology and is sold in Huawei stores, and after-sales are also made by Huawei.

In this Huawei store, there are also Maimang mobile phones launched by Huawei, China Telecom and Tencent, China Mobile's NZONE mobile phone, and China Post's Hi nova mobile phone. Xiaomei said that these are Huawei smartphones.

In 2021, TD Tech also launched the N8 Pro mobile phone, which is very similar to the Huawei nova 8 Pro. However, there is no introduction of this product on the official website of TD Tech, and the TD Tech N8 Pro has also been removed from the TD Tech flagship store on JD.com.

The CINNO Research report shows that in 2021, the sales of smartphones in the Chinese market will be about 314 million units. TD Tech, Maimang, NZONE, and Hi nova have not entered the ranking list. Huawei, which suffered from 5G chip blockade, ranks sixth.

Communication observer Xiang Ligang said in an interview with Times Finance that after a long period of accumulation, Huawei mobile phones have a strong brand endorsement in the market, and it is difficult to be recognized by consumers if they sell mobile phones of other brands.

In addition to the brand, he also mentioned that Huawei's mobile phones have Kirin chips and Hongmeng system, which are the most basic components. If the products that Huawei cooperates with other companies do not use, the sales effect will be poor.

"Huawei entered the market from high-end mobile phones, and most of the products it cooperates with other companies are mid-to-low-end products. It is normal for them not to be recognized." Xiang Ligang believes.

It is worth mentioning that TD Tech's business is mainly for the B-side, not the C-side. The official website shows that the company was established in 2005 and is positioned as a provider of wireless equipment and solutions. It has three major business segments: industry wireless, IoT & 5G, and customized terminal products. The consumer terminal product page only has the TD Tech M40 product.

According to official website information, TD Tech's public network solutions are applied to China Mobile's 3G and 4G commercial networks, with a market share of over 60%. In 2011, the company also entered the private network communications market.

For the B side, TD Tech also conducts system-level reinforcement based on best-selling terminals, and provides customized services on the basis of security. According to the company's promotional materials, the so-called "best-selling terminals" include Huawei's mobile phones, smart watches, smart screens and other products.