Google has confirmed that the upcoming Huawei flagship phones will not have Google apps.
This means that the Huawei Mate 30 series will not be getting YouTube, Gmail, and other popular apps on launch.
Most importantly, future Huawei phones will not have access to the Google Play Store, which contains the entire app ecosystem for Android.
Unless the decision is retracted, lacking Google Play Store would significantly hamper consumer interest in Huawei phones in Canada and Europe, where the majority of Android users rely on the Google ecosystem for day-to-day functions.
Current generations of Huawei phones will not be affected. Users can continue to use all Google apps as normal.
Huawei has yet to comment on how Google’s decision will affect its device launch roadmap.
Google’s decision was in adherence to a U.S. sanction imposed by Donald Trump, which blacklists any U.S. tech companies from doing business with Huawei. A report by Bloomberg says that the blacklist also included more than 40 Huawei affiliates.
Following the sanctioning announcement, Huawei was given a 90-day grace period to conclude its businesses with its U.S. customers. On August 19, the grace period was extended by another 90-days.
“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,” said a Huawei spokesperson to IT World Canada.
On August 9, Huawei formally launched its HarmonyOS operating system. While it will initially be included in Huawei’s smart devices, Huawei Chairman Richard Yu said that all Huawei phones can switch over to HarmonyOS in a matter of days.
Before the ban, Huawei overtook Apple Inc. as the world’s second-largest smartphone manufacturer in July 2018, and then again in May 2019.
IT World Canada has reached out to Google for comment and will update the article once it receives a reply.
Update: Google has declined to comment.
