China-based Huawei's Budget Handset Y6 Stands Out in South Korean Market, Sells 5,000 Units During First Week of Release

Huawei is raising expectations for Chinese mobile handsets after the successful launch of the Y6, the company's latest budget model.

Yonhap News reported Friday that LG Uplus Corp. has sold more than 5,000 units of the Y6 smartphone manufactured by Chinese mobile company Huawei, clearly indicating a boom in budget handsets in South Korea.  

The Y6 debuted in the market on Dec. 16 with a price tag of $131.50. Subscribers in South Korea can also avail of the unit through a monthly plan worth of 30,000 won or higher, LG Uplus announced.

Daily sales for the Huawei Y6 increased from 300 on its launch day to 700 as of Wednesday, Korea Times noted Friday. Daily sales are expected to rise consequently with the expanding market demand due to the holidays.

"The popularity of the Y6 hints at new market opportunities for Chinese smartphones here, considering that previously the sales of X3, which was the first Huawei smartphone launched in Korea, have failed to meet expectations," an industry source told Korea Times.

The Huawei Y6 boasts a five-inch high definition display with two megapixel and eight megapixel cameras. It carries a one gb memory and 2,200 mAh removable battery. The Y6 runs on the Android Lollipop 5.1 and is comes in black and white colors.

Huawei pegged the Y6 as the cheapest available budget handset in South Korea. The company has been doing its best to eliminate negative views of Chinese handsets among South Korean consumers.

51 tech support centers for Huawei have been opened across South Korea.  

"The popularity of budget smartphones in the Korean market has continued to increase as a more reasonable consumption trend penetrates," said Oliver Wu, Huawei's business head in East Asia. "The Y6 has maximum efficiency with essential functions and it will meet Korean customers' demand for a substantial product."