Samsung And Oppo License Key 5G Technologies From Huawei Amid US Sanctions

Samsung is licensing 5G tech from Huawei, which was forced to launch its smartphones with proprietary HarmonyOS operating system after being banned from accessing the US supply chain.

Samsung is Huawei's biggest licensee among foreign firms.

Samsung is licensing 5G technology from Chinese tech behemoth Huawei, which was forced to launch its smartphones with proprietary HarmonyOS operating system after it was banned from accessing the US supply chain due to sanctions imposed on it, the media has reported. Oppo has also licensed key technologies from Huawei. 

Huawei Technologies has licensed key technologies to smartphone rival Oppo in a win for the Chinese tech champion as it attempts to resist a US crackdown on its tech ambitions. The patent licensing deal with Oppo -- the world's fourth-biggest smartphone maker by shipments -- is Huawei's largest ever with a Chinese company and covers areas including 5G and Wi-Fi, as well as audio and video technologies, says a report by Nikkei Asia.

It should be noted that Huawei was also forced to innovate and develop in-house HarmonyOS, which is now in its third generation and the Huawei Mobile Services platform after the US imposed sanctions on the company citing security reasons.

"Huawei has developed multiple high-value patent portfolios in the global marketplace in domains like 5G, Wi-Fi, and audio and video codecs," Alan Fan, Head of Huawei's Intellectual Property Department, was quoted as saying.

"This will enable our industry to keep innovating and provide consumers with more competitive products and services."

According to Huawei, it has patent cross-licensing deals with 20 firms, which includes both domestic and foreign companies. South Korean tech giant Samsung is Huawei's biggest licensee among foreign firms in terms of the number of devices sold and the patents covered, while Oppo, another Chinese major is the most significant domestic company by the same measures, the report added.