Skip to main content

Huawei plans high-end phone launch under cloud of Google ban



Huawei Technologies plans to forge ahead with the launch of new high-end smartphones in Europe even though it may not be able to offer Google’s official Android operating system and widely used apps such as Google Maps, company executives told Reuters.

The world’s No. 2 smartphone maker is set to unveil its new Mate 30 line of phones on Sept. 18 in Munich, according to a source familiar with the matter, though it is not clear when the devices would go on sale.

The Mate 30, made to work on new 5G mobile networks, is Huawei’s first major flagship smartphone launch since U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration effectively blacklisted the company in mid-May, alleging it is involved in activities that compromise U.S. national security, a charge the company denies.

Price: $270                                                                                                                         


A Google spokesman told Reuters the 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, the spokesman said.

U.S. companies can seek a license for specific products to be exempted from the ban. Google, a part of Alphabet, 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.

Reuters reported this week that 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 surrounding the Mate 30 shows the confusion that reigns for Huawei and its business partners as a result of the escalating trade war between China and the United States. While the Huawei blacklisting was cast as a response to security concerns, President Trump has indicated it could be lifted as part of a trade deal.

“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.”

The Commerce Department declined to comment.
No Google, no sales?


Huawei can likely use an open-source version of Android without falling foul of the U.S. ban on sales to them. But Google’s apps can only be used in Europe under a paid license from the search giant. There is no fee for the license outside of Europe.

“Without Google Services, no one will buy the device,” said independent analyst Richard Windsor. The Google software normally comes pre-loaded on Android devices.

Huawei earlier this month announced its own mobile operating system, dubbed Harmony. But analysts and Huawei executives are skeptical that it is yet a viable alternative to Android.

Huawei vaulted quickly into the top ranks of the global smartphone business in recent years with highly regarded hardware, and Europe has been a key market.

But the U.S. ban has dealt a body blow to sales outside of China, with Huawei’s market share in Europe sliding to 19.3% in the second quarter from 24.9% in the first, figures from Counterpoint Research show.

As late as last week, senior Huawei executives struck a confident tone regarding Android and Google.

“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.
Chips in the clear


Huawei is confident that other hardware in the new phone will be compliant with U.S. law.

The brains of the Mate 30 line, the Kirin 990 chipset, will be formally unveiled on Sept. 6 by Richard Yu, Huawei’s top consumer executive, when he gives the opening keynote address at the IFA consumer tech fair in Berlin.

The Kirin 990 was developed by HiSilicon, Huawei’s chips unit, based on blueprints from British chip designer ARM Holdings, owned by Japan’s SoftBank.

ARM severed relations with Huawei after the U.S. ban because its designs contain technology of U.S. origin. But a source familiar with Huawei’s plan said its ARM license is based on work that predated the blacklisting of Huawei.

Huawei last week said it has perpetual ownership of the ARMv8 license and chips based on it, including the Kirin 990, would not be affected by the ban.

ARM declined to comment on its relationship with Huawei, saying only that “ARM continues to remain compliant with the latest U.S. Commerce Department restrictions and we are adhering to the guidelines related to the specific types of conversations permitted, technical or otherwise.”

Source: cnbc.com

Popular posts from this blog

The hidden cost of food delivery

Noah Lichtenstein Contributor Share on Twitter Noah Lichtenstein is the founder and managing partner of Crossover , a diversified private technology fund backed by institutional investors, technology execs and professional athletes and entertainers. More posts by this contributor What Studying Students Teaches Us About Great Apps I’ll admit it: When it comes to food, I’m lazy. There are dozens of great dining options within a few blocks of my home, yet I still end up ordering food through delivery apps four or five times per week. With the growing coronavirus pandemic closing restaurants and consumers self-isolating, it is likely we will see a spike in food delivery much like the 20% jump China reported during the peak of its crisis. With the food delivery sector rocketing toward a projected $365 billion by the end of the decade, I’m clearly not the only one turning to delivery apps even before the pandemic hit. Thanks to technology (and VC funding) we can get a ri

Cyber Monday Canada: Last-minute deals for everyone on your list

Best Cyber Monday Canada deals: Smart Home Audio Phones, Tablets & Accessories Wearables Laptops & PC Components Amazon products Gaming Televisions Cameras Lifestyle & Kitchen Toys & Kids Cyber Monday Canada is here, and retailers are rolling out the red carpet for customers who want to shop for everything from tech to kitchenware to games and everything in between. Unlike years past, Cyber Monday Canada deals look a bit different than normal. Instead of retailers trying to pack their stores with as many shoppers as possible, we're seeing tons of online deals that you can take advantage of from the comfort of your home. We've rounded up our favorites below, so feel free to browse through the best of what Canada Cyber Monday has to offer! This list is being updated with new Cyber Monday deals all the time, so check back often. Spotlight deals It's a Switch Nintendo Switch Fortnite Edition bundle $399.95 at Amazon It's a Switch.

Slack’s new integration deal with AWS could also be about tweaking Microsoft

Slack and Amazon announced a big integration late yesterday afternoon. As part of the deal, Slack will use Amazon Chime for its call feature, while reiterating its commitment to use AWS as its preferred cloud provider to run its infrastructure. At the same time, AWS has agreed to use Slack for internal communications. Make no mistake, this is a big deal as the SaaS communications tool increases its ties with AWS, but this agreement could also be about slighting Microsoft and its rival Teams product by making a deal with a cloud rival. In the past Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield has had choice words for Microsoft saying the Redmond technology giant sees his company as an “existential threat.” Whether that’s true or not — Teams is but one piece of a huge technology company — it’s impossible not to look at the deal in this context. Aligning more deeply with AWS sends a message to Microsoft, whose Azure infrastructure services compete with AWS. Butterfield didn’t say that of course

iPhone 13 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro Buyer's Guide: 50+ Differences Compared

The iPhone 15 Pro brings over 50 new features and improvements to Apple's high-end smartphones compared to the iPhone 13 Pro, which was released two years prior. This buyer's guide breaks down every major difference you should be aware of between the two generations and helps you to decide whether it's worth upgrading. The ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro debuted in 2021, introducing a brighter display with ProMotion technology for refresh rates up to 120Hz, the A15 Bionic chip, a telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, Macro photography and photographic styles, Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field, ProRes video recording, a 1TB storage option, and five hours of additional battery life. The ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro was discontinued upon the announcement of the iPhone 14 Pro in 2022, but it is still possible to get hold of it second-hand. Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two iPhone models is best for you and serves as a way to c