Chinese smartphone brands under scanner, govt to check components, pre-installed applications

After banning 220 Chinese applications in India last year, the government is now targeting Chinese smartphone brands, reported The Morning Context. The government has sent notices to Vivo, Oppo, Xiaomi and OnePlus (which hold over 50% of India’s smartphone market) asking them to furnish details on the “data and components used in the phones”.

Business Insider reported that this investigation will clarify whether these smartphones are safe to be used by Indian customers. The government might also ask these companies to test the smartphones.

The Morning Context reported that after last year’s ban, Chinese companies increased local production and investment in India, but these four smartphone brands have not fulfilled their investment promises to India. However, Xiaomi is on the list even though it has fulfilled its investments, while iQoo (Vivo’s sub-brand) failed to do so.

ET reported that these notices could be the Indian government cracking down against Chinese companies, or a part of the government’s investigation into Chinese telecom companies such as Huawei and ZTE. ET added that the government is investigating both hardware and software details, “especially pre-installed apps on Chinese smartphones”.

Since there’s no clarity on what might follow the notices, the brands are clearly under panic.