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Commerce Department Order Leaves Millions of ZTE Phone Users Without Android Updates
Wall Street Journal ^ | May 14, 2018 8:05 a.m. ET | Dan Strumpf and Natasha Khan

Posted on 05/14/2018 6:03:33 PM PDT by Zhang Fei

Millions of American users of smartphones made by ZTE Corp. are already feeling the fallout from the U.S. Commerce Department’s blacklisting of the Chinese phonemaker: They’re unable to update Google’s Android operating system.

Last month’s wide-ranging order by the U.S. Commerce Department prevents American companies from selling components and software to ZTE, the fourth-largest vendor of mobile phones in the U.S. That has led Google to halt updates to ZTE phones, leaving users cut off from security patches, technical support and other functions provided by the Android operating system used on ZTE’s smartphones.

Though Chinese consumers have shunned ZTE in favor of other domestic brands, the company has found its biggest success in the U.S., where it captures a big share of the budget and midtier phone markets. The company in the U.S. trails only Apple Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics. Popular ZTE devices include the flagship Axon M, a dual-screen phone unveiled last year, and its Blade line of smartphones.

Kyle D. Tackett, a 28-year-old worker at Walmart in Shelbyville, Ind., purchased his ZTE Axon 7 phone from a Fry’s Electronics store 18 months ago, because it was cheaper than top-end phones and he was impressed by its “amazing” speaker quality.

Unable to update his operating system to Android 8.0 last month as other brand phone users could, he said he’s frustrated since that his phone is getting more buggy. When he tries to update, the phone searches for a minute before indicating a “no network connection,” he said.

“I understand ZTE may have made a mistake but I believe the punishment is too severe,” Mr. Tackett said in a series of message exchanges with the Journal. He said he was disappointed his phone’s functionality had been affected by what he called global politics.

(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: china; dnctalkingpoints; emolumentsclause; maga; nevertrumpers; zte
According to the Journal, ZTE is an nonentity in the Chinese market, but #4 in the US, so the US is essentially its home market(!). Maybe an apt analogy would be to Japan's Subaru.
1 posted on 05/14/2018 6:03:33 PM PDT by Zhang Fei
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To: Zhang Fei

What’s the deal with ZTE phones? I haven’t really even heard about them until recently.


2 posted on 05/14/2018 6:29:25 PM PDT by factoryrat (We are the producers, the creators. Grow it, mine it, build it. MAGA!)
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To: factoryrat

ZTE was supplying Iran and North Korea on the sly in a major way.

They got busted and the PRC gummint admonished they would beat them, smash their balls and FINE them in the most grueling way possible.

‘Cept it turned out they did none of that, instead giving them Ancient Chinese Seclet BONUSES for zeyah gleht spy wahk.

Yes, I’m serious.

So BUH-BYE~~~~!


3 posted on 05/14/2018 6:34:36 PM PDT by gaijin
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To: factoryrat
What’s the deal with ZTE phones?

Totally commie phones. ZTE is a communist company, Chinese owned. Android owners should switch and support an American company like Apple. Apple is making more of their components in the USA, and deals with Taiwanese companies, not communist China.

4 posted on 05/14/2018 6:34:56 PM PDT by roadcat
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To: gaijin

Okay, that makes more sense. Chinese espionage in a cute little full feature package.


5 posted on 05/14/2018 6:44:34 PM PDT by factoryrat (We are the producers, the creators. Grow it, mine it, build it. MAGA!)
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To: factoryrat

Why should I care about the phone spying?
Google, Facebook and Amazon already sell my stuff to retailers and freely to Daddy Government Spooks

Everything I do on my Lenovo laptop already gives the Chinamen all my data

I get even, I only look at Chinese porn online! Me and Ho Lee Fuk speak often. ;)


6 posted on 05/14/2018 6:57:12 PM PDT by VRWCarea51 (The Original 1998 Version)
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To: factoryrat

They’ve been around for years. My Mom had an AT&T flip phone they made. Low end stuff until recently. Now they’re powerful enough to be loaded with spyware.


7 posted on 05/14/2018 7:26:34 PM PDT by Dalberg-Acton
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To: roadcat
Yeah, the people that bought ZTE's because they were the best they could afford, were inexpensive and decent should just go and by friggin apple phones that are still made in Taiwan and probably just as bloated with chicom spyware, and oh yeah pay for them with the money they didn't have in the first place when they bought the ZTE!

Pretty fancy critical thinking there apple shil!

8 posted on 05/14/2018 9:20:15 PM PDT by Mastador1 (I'll take a bad dog over a good politician any day!)
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To: Zhang Fei

Looks like I’ll have to make a trip to the AT&T store for an upgrade. We don’t get a cell signal where we live here in hill country so I just couldn’t see spending several hundred dollars for a phone. The phone’s just for when we go out.


9 posted on 05/15/2018 5:00:56 AM PDT by Pollard (If you don't understand what I typed, you haven't read the classics.)
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To: Zhang Fei

I have an Android phone. Never once allowed updates to run on it, on the principle that if it isn’t broke, why fix it. It has worked fine all the time in spite of no Android updates since I bought it.


10 posted on 05/15/2018 6:01:01 AM PDT by Wuli
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To: Pollard

“Looks like I’ll have to make a trip to the AT&T store for an upgrade. We don’t get a cell signal where we live here in hill country so I just couldn’t see spending several hundred dollars for a phone. The phone’s just for when we go out.”


Budget phone manufacturers don’t often update operating systems on their phones. And Google Play should still be accessible to ZTE phones.


11 posted on 05/15/2018 6:10:54 AM PDT by Zhang Fei (Journalism is about covering important stories. With a pillow, until they stop moving.)
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