Huawei might cease production of smartphones lacking support for fifth-generation cellular networks. Models capable of operating only on 4G—typically the budget-friendly devices—could be discontinued. However, since 5G networks are not universally deployed, this decision may force many consumers to pay extra for a feature they cannot utilize.
The End of an Era
According to the specialized portal Huawei Central, the Chinese company Huawei plans to stop manufacturing smartphones without 5G network compatibility in the near future, potentially before the close of 2026.
Smartphones incapable of 5G connectivity function solely on 4G, 3G, and GSM networks, with the latter two standards progressively being phased out worldwide. For example, 3G networks are being dismantled actively in Russia, while 2G is being retired in the UK.
Huawei has recently released its 4G smartphones under the Smart Selection branding. Huawei Central reports that the company is contemplating the abolition of this particular brand.
The Rationale Behind the Shift
Telecommunication operators across numerous nations have been deploying fifth-generation networks since 2019. The most extensive coverage for these networks is found in the United States and China, and given that Huawei is a Chinese enterprise, it is especially compelled to focus primarily on its domestic mobile market due to Western sanctions.
5G Represents the Future, Yet 4G Phones Remain Relevant
5G networks offer considerably higher data transfer speeds compared to 4G. Currently, almost all mobile processors include a 5G modem, excluding only the absolute cheapest chipsets; consequently, support for these networks is present in nearly every smartphone starting from the mid-range price bracket.
Huawei Central suggests that Huawei may discontinue not just the Smart Selection brand, but the entire Smart Selection Phone Business division. This unit encompasses device series such as Maimang, Hi Enjoy, and Nova.
Still in Demand
If Huawei moves forward with dropping 5G-less smartphones, it will certainly be among the first major market players to do so, if not the very first. Models without 5G are still being sold by various companies, including Realme, Xiaomi Redmi, Infinix, and Samsung, among others.
For instance, at the time of this report’s writing, numerous smartphones available on the primary market (i.e., in standard retail outlets) in Russia lacked hardware-level 5G support. These included models such as the Xiaomi Redmi Note 14, Realme Note 60x, Xiaomi Redmi 15C, Tecno Spark Go 2, Honor X6c, Infinix Hot 50i, Oppo A5x, and Samsung Galaxy A07.
Others May Not Follow Suit
It is far from certain that other manufacturers would immediately mimic Huawei if it chose to abandon 5G-modem-free devices. Such widespread imitation might have occurred before 2019, when Huawei held a position among the global smartphone market leaders, fiercely competing with Apple and Samsung for the top spot.
In May 2019, Google prohibited Huawei from pre-installing its services—like Gmail, Maps, Drive, YouTube, and the Google Play Store—on its Android smartphones. This action caused an immediate plunge in Huawei’s handset sales, including in Russia, prompting the company to develop its proprietary mobile operating system, HarmonyOS.
Today, HarmonyOS, in its intended iteration, enjoys popularity predominantly within China. Phones imported into Russia arrive without this system; they run on Android but feature the HarmonyOS graphical shell overlay. They still lack Google services, just as they did in 2019. Users are required to install these services manually, a process not all of them can successfully complete.
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