Huawei confirms turning down Google for Pixel manufacturing because it wouldn't be co-branded

Last month a report surfaced claiming that Google had talked to Huawei about building its Pixel phones before choosing HTC as the contract manufacturer. However, the Chinese company reportedly turned Google down because the search giant insisted that its brand should be the only one adorning the Pixels. When Huawei execs heard that the Huawei logo wouldn't be on the phones, they turned Google down.

That was all rumored information, however, up until now. German publication WinFuture spoke to Colin Giles, Huawei's Vice President of the Consumer Business Group, about the matter. And he pretty much confirmed the earlier report. Simply put, the fact that Google wanted the Pixels to only bear its own brand was found unacceptable by Huawei, a company that is striving to make its name more well known in developed markets.

That aim would not have been helped in any way if Huawei were to act as a mere contract manufacturer for the Google Pixel phones, so the company chose not to further the hardware development cooperation it started with Google last year, when working on the Nexus 6P. Interestingly, Giles says Huawei doesn't see Google as a direct competitor. Of course, if the Pixel line becomes even remotely successful sales-wise, that perception may change.

Source (in German)