Huawei plans to launch its own 5G Smartphone without Google Android
Huawei plans to launch its own 5G Smartphone without Google Android
Huawei Technologies is set to launch its new high-end smartphones in Europe on September 18, 2019, in Munich without Google’s official Android operating system, a source familiar with the matter, though it is not clear when the devices would go on sale told Reuters.
The Chinese tech giant appeared to work on new 5G mobile networks since U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration effectively blacklisted the company in mid-May, over spying on U.S. national security, a charge the company denies.
“The new Huawei smartphone namely Mate 30 cannot be sold with licensed Google apps and services due to the U.S. ban on sales to Huawei. A temporary reprieve that the U.S. government announced last week does not apply to new products such as the Mate 30,” a Google spokesman told Reuters.
U.S. companies can seek a license for specific products to be exempted from the ban. Google, a part of Alphabet Inc, would not say whether it had applied for a license to offer its apps and services known as Google Mobile Services, though it has said in the past that it wants to continue supplying Huawei.
According to Reuters, the U.S. Commerce Department has received more than 130 applications from companies for licenses to sell U.S. goods to Huawei, but none have been granted.
The uncertainty over Huawei Mate 30 indicates the confusion that reigns for Huawei and its business partners as a result of the escalating trade war between China and the United States.
“Huawei will continue to use the Android OS and ecosystem if the U.S. government allows us to do so,” Huawei spokesman Joe Kelly told Reuters.
“Otherwise, we will continue to develop our own operating system and ecosystem.” He added
The Commerce Department declined to comment.
Huawei new smartphones can’t be sold without Google Services
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Earlier this month, Huawei announced its own mobile operating system, dubbed Harmony. But analysts and Huawei executives are skeptical that it is yet a viable alternative to Android.
“Without Google Services, no one will buy the device,” said independent analyst Richard Windsor. Google software normally comes pre-loaded on Android devices.
“Our new phones will still be based on Android,” Vincent Pang, senior vice president, and board director of Huawei told a media gathering at the top of New York City’s One World Trade Center, an iconic American symbol of perseverance.
“We want to maintain one standard, one ecosystem, one technology,” he said.
Huawei is confident that other hardware in the new phone will be compliant with U.S. law.
