Reports making rounds suggest Huawei’s next flagship smartphone will not feature Google’s prominent apps including Maps and Youtube.
Google confirmed this citing the US Government ban on sales to Huawei as the reason it would no longer license its apps to the Chines smartphone maker.
Seen as a massive blow to Huawei, its next flagship smartphone will not feature the Google Play app store, which could deprive customers of access to other popular apps.
Analysts suggest Huawei will struggle to sell a phone without Google’s apps.
The US government restricted American companies from selling products and services to Huawei in May, citing national security concerns, which Huawei rejects.
President Donald Trump said last month that some exemptions would be allowed.
But US officials have not granted any licences to trade with Huawei, despite receiving more than 130 requests.
The Android operating system is open-source software, so any manufacturer can offer it on their smartphone or tablet.
But companies need an agreement with Google to include its popular apps such as Maps, Pay, Search, Photos, Play Store and YouTube.
Google has not said whether it has applied for permission to offer its apps to Huawei.
Huawei said in a statement: “Huawei will continue to use the Android OS and ecosystem if the US government allows us to do so. Otherwise, we will continue to develop our own operating system and ecosystem.”
It has set up a website named Huawei Answers to address consumer concerns about the company’s relationship with Android.
The company further said, “Anyone who has already bought or is about to buy a Huawei smartphone, can continue to access the world of apps as they have always done. All devices continue to be covered by our manufacturer’s warranty and will receive full-service support accordingly.”
It is worth noting that Huawei is just weeks away from launching its next flagship phone, the Mate 30 Pro making it its first major phone launch since the US restrictions were applied in May.
Consumers expect to have access to all the major apps they are used to including Maps and YouTube. Without them, Huawei’s phones will seem a lot less appealing.
Huawei has said it will continue using Android for as long as the US government allows it. The company also gave hints on its own operating system; a work in progress – Harmony OS – as a back-up plan.
