US Ban on Huawei: Google Says Future Huawei Smartphones Won’t Have Popular Google Apps

Avatar

Chinese smartphone giant, Huawei’s next releases of smartphones will not have access to popular Google apps including Maps and Play Store.

US Ban on Huawei continues

Google established that due to the existing ban on sales to Huawei by the US government, the company will not be licensed to use its app on new devices.

We are complying with the order and reviewing the implications. For users of our services, Google Play and the security protections from Google Play Protect will continue to function on existing Huawei devices. Huawei will only be able to use the public version of Android and will not be able to get access to proprietary apps and services from Google.

Statement by Google according to Andriod Authority

In May, the US government placed a restriction on sales of products and services by American companies to Huawei. The government cited national security concern as the reason for the ban.

Huawei without Google

Even though Huawei denies the allegation, several US companies have obeyed the order putting Huawei in a difficult position. Without Play Store, Huawei’s new device could leave customers without access to other popular apps like Facebook and Twitter which can be easily accessed on Play Store.

Significant loses for Huawei ahead

Until the ban is lifted, Huawei may continue to suffer significant losses. Ren Zhengfei, CEO of Huawei, revealed that the ban could put their revenue down by $30 billion

Our revenue will be down by about $30 billion compared to forecasts. So our sales revenue this year and next will be about $100 billion.

Ren Zhengfei, CEO of Huawei
Huawei may continue to suffer significant losses

Huawei’s next flagship phone, the Mate 30 Pro, could be affected by the ban. According to Reuters, a Google spokesman said that Mate 30 can’t be sold with the licensed version of Andriod or Google apps

However, Huawei is already making plans for alternatives. On August 9 Huawei officially launches Harmony OS “the first microkernel-based distributed OS for all scenarios,” that could potentially replace the Android.

Although the Harmony OS hasn’t been deployed yet on a smartphone, consumer group CEO Huawei, Richard Yu, revealed that the new platform supports smartphones, smart speakers, computers, smartwatches, wireless earbuds, cars, and tablets.

Huawei is still committed to using the Android OS

However, Huawei expressed that it’s still committed to using Android in its smartphones as long as it can. The Android OS is an open-source software, so Huawei can still offer it on their smartphone.

Huawei without Google: what the future holds

The US government hasn’t granted Huawei any licence despite reportedly receiving more than 130 requests. However, US companies may be able to work with Huawei again as Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told a conference that licenses to sell to Huawei will be issued if there’s no security threat, reflecting President Trump’s statement of partially lifting the ban during the G20 summit.

Consumers of Huawei smartphones expect to have access to all the major apps they use frequently, including Goole Search and Maps. Without them, Huawei’s phones sales might be affected as the smartphone will appear a lot less appealing.

The ban notwithstanding, Huawei reports that it shipped 118 million smartphones in the first half of the year, 24% higher than last years figures. But the loss of key services such as Google apps could be a big blow to Huawei’s new products as customers might not want a smartphone that does not have access to some of the world’s most-used apps.

The immediate solution Huawei will use to circumvent the inability to use Google app is yet to be seen. However, according to XDA Developers, Huawei is recruiting Play Store developers to work on porting their apps to the company’s App Gallery.


Technext Newsletter

Get the best of Africa’s daily tech to your inbox – first thing every morning.
Join the community now!

Register for Technext Coinference 2023, the Largest blockchain and DeFi Gathering in Africa.

Technext Newsletter

Get the best of Africa’s daily tech to your inbox – first thing every morning.
Join the community now!