The ongoing strife between the United States and China continues to affect tech companies from both countries. According to a report from Reuters, the highly-anticipated Huawei flagship phone Mate 30 will be launched without any Google apps.
Apparently, the 90-day reprieve given by the U.S. government to electronics manufacturer Huawei only applies to its existing products. Meaning, its upcoming smartphones, and other devices are banned from using American software and hardware without the approval of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
U.S. companies like Google could apply for a license to offer some of its products to Chinese firms. However, it is not known yet if the Silicon Valley giant has applied for a permit to offer its applications and services, called Google Mobile Services, to Huawei.
Reports claimed that the Commerce Department had received over 130 applications from U.S. companies for licenses to sell their products and services to Huawei this week. None of the said applications were granted.
Huawei Flagship Phone to Launch With Harmony OS
Earlier this month, Huawei has unveiled its HarmonyOS at the company’s developer conference in Guangdong, China. During the event, the Chinese tech giant said that the OS would debut on smart screen TVs this year, with support for other devices to be released in the next three years.
Not much is known about the upcoming Huawei flagship phone Mate 30 except that it’s going to be packed with some ‘awesome’ features. However, without Google apps and Android OS, the future of the yet-to-be-released device is hanging by a thread.
Huawei spokesperson Joe Kelly told Reuters:
“Huawei will continue to use the Android OS and ecosystem if the U.S. government allows us to do so. Otherwise, we will continue to develop our own operating system and ecosystem.”
Huawei remains the second-largest smartphone maker in the world, trailing behind South Korea-based Samsung. However, the U.S. trade ban has dealt a significant blow to Huawei’s sales outside of China.
But, the company continues to stay positive despite its struggles. Last week, Huawei’s senior vice president, Vincent Pang, told reporters at the One World Trade Center in New York:
“Our new phones will still be based on Android. We want to maintain one standard, one ecosystem, one technology.”
At the moment, it’s still unclear whether the Mate 30 will run on Android or HarmonyOS. Despite Huawei’s progress with its in-house OS, some tech analysts remain skeptical about its viability as an Android alternative.
Independent analyst, Richard Windsor, was quoted as saying:
“Without Google Services, no one will buy the device.”
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