Huawei holds on to No. 2 smartphone spot in first quarter: report

Chinese telecom company Huawei held on to its spot as the world’s second biggest smartphone vendor in the first quarter, before being blacklisted by the United States, research and advisory firm Gartner said.

Gartner also said Huawei continued to reduce the gap with Samsung, but warned that growth could be limited in the near term.

The United States on May 15 blocked Huawei from buying U.S. goods saying the company was involved in activities contrary to national security. The Trump administration softened its stance last week by granting Huawei a licence to buy U.S. goods until Aug. 19.