Across the globe, Huawei phones are popular and easy to come by. In 2018, the phones were flying off the shelves in Europe, and the company saw a 30% increase in sales there. Before the May 2019 U.S. ban, Huawei was gaining traction in the U.S. market as well. New U.S. charges against Huawei released on Thursday could further complicate matters for the Chinese tech firm and customers worldwide.

Huawei phones were an attractive buy

Before its tangle with the U.S. federal government, Huawei phones were an attractive buy. In fact, Huawei software was considered to be just as good as what you’d find in a phone from an American tech company, the cameras were impressive, and the phones looked and felt good in your hand. Also, Huawei had phones that were more cost-effective than comparative Apple or Samsung models. For this reason, consumers around the world were delighted with Huawei phones. They were—and still are—good phones.