After US Sanctions, Huawei Seeks New Revenue By Licensing Its 5G Patents to Rival

CNBC reports: Chinese technology giant Huawei said Friday it will license its 5G technology to rival handset maker Oppo as it looks to unlock a new revenue stream after its smartphone business was crushed by U.S. sanctions....

Huawei has a massive portfolio of over 100,000 patents globally. It is one of the top patent holders in 5G technology, which is next-generation ultra-fast mobile internet seen as key to underpinning future industries such as artificial intelligence and autonomous cars.... The company previously stated that it expected to earn revenue of $1.2 billion to $1.3 billion from licensing its intellectual property between 2019 to 2021. Huawei said that it met its intellectual property revenue expectations for 2021, but did not provide a figure.

... because everyone wants an Oppo Phone ...

[lowvisioncomputing]

... but only if they can't get an iPhone, a Samsung, Google, Xiaomi ...

Re:

[AmiMoJo]

Some Oppo devices have good reviews, but I'm not sure this is really about phones. The patents cover the stuff in the 5G modem in they phone. Huawei makes those modems and other companies build them into phones.

It sounds like Oppo might start making modems for their own phones and for other manufacturers.

Huawei's patent licensing income continued despite US sanctions, because everyone still has to license them. Apple and Samsung both pay Huawei for those patents, because if they didn't Huawei would start ge

Re:

[Freischutz]

... but only if they can't get an iPhone, a Samsung, Google, Xiaomi ...

I used one on a trip to Asia this summer. Oppo phones are actually pretty nice. In bang-for-bucks terms they are a probably a better buy than a Samsung. Plus, they charge way faster.

Its not going to do Oppo any good

[slashdot_commentator]

As soon as Oppo tries to penetrate the US market, the US will just turn around and ban Oppo (another Chinese CCP controlled company).

Re:Its not going to do Oppo any good

[Freischutz]

As soon as Oppo tries to penetrate the US market, the US will just turn around and ban Oppo (another Chinese CCP controlled company).

Well, there in lies the difference between the US and PRC doesn't it. In the PRC the government controls the corporations, in the US the corporations control the government. I'm not sure which is worse.

Re:

[Canberra1]

There are three items, patents, standard lookup tables, and extra stuff the consumer does not see like backdoor interception capabilities, and binary blobs tied to the modem bit. Some people do not like it when the Chinese do not buy pre-canned binary blobs that cost some percentage of the phones final sale price. It seems the irrational hatred is directed to firmware.

Re:

[tlhIngan]

As soon as Oppo tries to penetrate the US market, the US will just turn around and ban Oppo (another Chinese CCP controlled company).

Oppo already has. They used to make some really nice high end DVD/Blu-Ray/UHD Blu-Ray players. They're so wanted that even used units still command more than retail price today. I believe they're selling about 25% above retail price for a used unit.

Re:

[ghoul]

Unless its a patent for cutting trees or shooting moose, doubt anything a Canadian company patented was original. You need defrosted brains to innovate.

Serious: is Huawei's banning behind lousy US cells

[fortfive]

If they own so many patents, and are bannd, that means their technology is less available at the tower, no? And perhaps that is why mobile service seems lousier? I've heard many complaints (anecdata) that Verizon especially seems to have a lot less connectivity and available bandwidth, but also AT&T (meanwhile, T-mobile has improved, but does not appear to reach as many coordinates as V and ATT at their heigh).

Re:

[ceoyoyo]

No, it means your local provider just has to buy equipment from some other company, which has to pay Huawei to license their patents, but can charge more because their biggest competitor got shivved.

Unless of course the US decides to engage in some IP theft, in which case they'll still charge you the same amount but won't bother paying Huawei.

Oh boy!

[paul_engr]

Those 5Geez are really seamlessly innovating our brains with the autonomous cars and such. Oh wait, no it's still all bullshit.

Please explain it to me as if I am 5 years old...

[sirfulator]

"... 5G technology, which is next-generation ultra-fast mobile internet seen as key to underpinning future industries such as artificial intelligence and autonomous cars." In what way is 5G important for AI and autonomous cars? Will autonomous cars only work in rural areas with good 5G coverage? I've also seen claims that 5G will enable remote surgery by robots which I also don't understand. A hospital advanced enough to have a surgical robot and/or the control thingy for a surgical robot would surely have