Update: The pressure seems to have eased a bit for now as the US government eased sanctions against Huawei and the UK greenlighted their involvement in the country's 5G infrastructure at parliamentary level. Nonetheless, Huawei has filed patents for its own mobile operating system as it takes precautionary measures in case a life without Android finally becomes a reality, while chipmaker Broadcom feels the repercussions with lower turnover. planned. Huawei found itself at the center of a global conflict between the United States and China after the Trump administration placed the Chinese brand on the "entity list," which limits business activities. that American companies could do, which would have consequences on a global scale. This has led Google to block Huawei's future access to Android updates. ARM, the British chip designer, has stopped all activity with the brand. Many retailers and networks around the world have had to stop trading with Huawei for fear of US government sanctions. However, on May 20, the US Department of Commerce granted Huawei a temporary license to work with US companies, which means that US companies can resume their associations with the brand at short notice. Learn more about Huawei's ban: While the Wi-Fi Alliance and SD Association, the standards bodies that regulate technology used for mobile storage and connectivity have banned Huawei, preventing the company from shaping the future of these technologies, since then Chinese society has been restored. In July, things turned out to be beneficial for Huawei, with President Trump suggesting that the ban on Huawei would soon be lifted at the G20 summit in Japan and that by mid-July, some companies would be allowed to trade with Huawei. If this isn't the silver bullet Huawei needs, the details of this relaxation of the ban are still unclear, but as of mid-July, reports suggest that within two to four weeks, Huawei and US companies could resume operations. Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei maintained the brand's outlook in the face of all these setbacks: "We will surely continue to serve our customers. "Our mass production capacity is enormous, and Huawei's addition to the entity list will not have a big impact on us. We are making progress on auctions around the world."
What does the ban mean if I have a Huawei phone?
The most useful information about current Huawei phones is perhaps Google's statement to TechRadar: "We are following the order and watching the consequences." For users of our services, Google Play security protections and Google Play Protect will continue to work on existing Huawei devices," a spokesperson said. This is good news if you've just spent a lot of money on a Huawei P30 Pro - as seen As previously stated, current devices from the Chinese brand will continue to receive security updates and access to the Play Store for the foreseeable future, as Google has vowed not to let those out in the cold.The temporary lifting of the ban will also allow both brands prepare better Android support for current and future models, which means Huawei will be able to do business as before, so current customers can benefit from it longer.Since then, Google has resumed its relationship with Huawei to allow it to provide benefits longer.Huawei also told TechRadar that it would continue to do everything in its power to support the phones that are currently in the wild and is looking into other consequences of Google's decision. The company told us: "Huawei has made a substantial contribution to the development and growth of Android around the world. As Android's key global partner, we work closely with its open source platform to develop an ecosystem that benefits both users and consumers." the industry.
The sub-brand Huawei Honor is also subject to the same restrictions. Image Credit: TechRadar "Huawei will continue to provide security updates and after-sales services to all existing Huawei and Honor smartphone and tablet products, including those already sold and available worldwide." Huawei Australia echoed this sentiment, also stating that "those planning to purchase a Huawei device in the near future" will not have to worry about sanctions, according to Jeremy Mitchell, general business manager at Huawei Australia. We asked for a comment on the recent lifting of the ban, but Huawei refused. With recent developments, it seems more likely that the flexible Mate X will launch with "full fat" Android, with the upcoming Mate 30 series. She has invested heavily in marketing this model since its introduction in February and wants to maintain its reputation as a technology leader. . The CEO of UK network EE said, when he launched his 5G networks, that the brand had temporarily halted to stock the phone while it struggled to understand the trade implications. ban. UK retailer Dixons Carphone followed his lead and ended plans to launch the 5G phone as planned as the UK prepared to enter the next phase of connectivity. Therefore, even if rapid updates will be proposed to current models, we don't know how long they will last, and the fact that the networks are already nervous about the sanctions will not help Huawei at all. Although most smartphone brands accept security updates two to three years after launching a new phone, you can expect this delay to be much shorter in the case of Huawei phones. , given these restrictions imposed by Google.
What about future Huawei phones?
If this happens, the transfer from Google means that Huawei will no longer work directly when it publishes updates to its system and will not give the company access to the Google Play Store.
This is a potentially critical blow for the Chinese brand, which recently announced plans to become the world's largest smartphone maker.
This means that if Huawei wants to continue to use the Android operating system, it will have to use the Android Open Source Platform (AOSP), a free system that any brand can use as the underlying foundation for its products.
However, with the Google Play Store, you will not have access to basic Google applications such as YouTube, Google Maps, and Chrome.
Without access to the Play Store, Huawei would have to work directly with developers to get them to build versions of their products for their phones. This would be similar to Amazon's Fire OS, which is based on AOSP but has its own app store, with the retail giant looking to control the platform its Echo tablets and devices run on.
If Huawei were to use AOSP, the consequences could be devastating, as access to a fully featured app store is critical to the success of any modern smartphone. Nokia and Microsoft have failed to make Windows phones a viable alternative to Android and iOS, despite both brands having invested millions of dollars in development tools and calling on the best app creators to use their platform. Huawei has been developing its own alternative to Android for almost seven years, which it calls "Plan B", ready to be used if you lose access to the aforementioned services.
The name HongMeng OS (or possibly Ark OS or Harmony OS - company's European registered name) and indicates that its alternative operating system will be released in late 2019 or early 2020 and will work from "Mobile phones, computers, Tablets, TVs , automobiles, and smart mobile devices."
More recently, it was reported that Huawei has registered "Hongmeng" trademarks in the EU, as well as in several countries, including Canada, South Korea, New Zealand, Cambodia and Peru.
In its latest statement to TechRadar, Huawei said: "We will continue to build a secure and sustainable software ecosystem to provide the best experience for all users around the world," which seems to be creating a lot of hype. Positive about your alternative. BONE.
However, Huawei also said it prefers to continue working with brands like Google and Microsoft (whose Windows operating system is based on Huawei laptops) to deliver the best experience, a feeling it has offered to all its vendors since then, leaving Of course he hopes to resume. Actions when this ban is lifted.
Huawei also claims to be able to create smartphones and other equipment with components stored before the ban, as well as create new partnerships around the world.
Google Play Store is a key element to attract users. Image credit: TechRadar. "Huawei has done a lot of work developing its own AppGallery assets and other software, as well as its work on chipset solutions." Ben Woods, head of research at CCS Insight, told TechRadar. "There is little doubt that these efforts are part of his desire to control his own destiny." If Huawei loses access to the Google Play Store, it would take a huge investment to entice developers to create app options that appeal to its smartphone users, and you have to wonder if the brand would even consider it. It was worth it to keep doing it. Phones at all facing this kind of hurdle. It would be the same for Honor, the sub-brand of Huawei phones, in the future. Honor may have tried to differentiate itself from its parent company, but it has been confirmed that it will be subject to the same penalties. However, the launch of this brand's Honor 20 smartphone went as planned and made no mention of the issues its parent company is facing, so it's clear that the devices currently being created and part of the supply chain will continue. To be supported in the Android ecosystem. Since the announcement of the Android discontinuation, more details have surfaced about Huawei's projects related to the HongMeng operating system's app gallery: the brand has reportedly offered developers access to apps for Chinese users, as well as as financial incentives to networks to add it. Portal to phones. Developers could simply and quickly switch their Android apps to run on Huawei's platform, and theoretically have access to a sizable Chinese user base, though whether Huawei phones will continue to sell sufficiently in China remains to be seen. around the world for developers to update and maintain their applications.
What about ARM news, is it really harmful?
Huawei is facing a big problem: chip designer ARM won't be working with the brand any time soon. It might seem strange because it's a UK-based Japanese brand, but to the extent that its designs use US-based technology, it's feared that this doesn't derogate from trade restrictions. If Huawei's ban means it can't use ARM reference models in its chipsets, it would be extremely difficult and expensive for the brand to replace them, and that might prove impossible. Which would cast doubt on the future of Huawei's phone. the arms. A Huawei spokesperson told the BBC: "We value our close relationship with our partners, but we recognize the pressure some of them are under as a result of politically motivated decisions. "We are convinced that this unfortunate situation can be resolved and our priority remains continue to provide world-class technologies and products to our customers around the world." The future Kirin 985 chipset should not be affected, which means Huawei should be able to launch a new cycle of smartphones before the ban really becomes an issue. , but partners and networks are already starting to react The suspension of the US business license . However, the loss of ARM support may take a little longer than expected: apparently, Huawei has obtained a permanent license for ARM technology for a few months after being prepared for problems, which would allow it to continue using these key chip models for the foreseeable future in its phones, laptops, and infrastructure equipment. The brand also told TechRadar that it thought it could create ARM-based chipsets for its laptops. Replace all problems with Intel chip supply.What about other brands? What does this mean for the world of smartphones?
(Image credit: TechRadar) Although these sanctions do not currently affect other brands, the message sent is clear: global politics can have dramatic consequences for the manufacturing and marketing of consumer devices that have become indispensable to billions of people. people.
News from Huawei also lowered prices for some technologies, hitting the market as a result of the US ban.
While there is currently no problem with brands based in other parts of the world, a similar fine could force other smartphone makers to rethink costly.
A few years ago, Samsung seriously threatened to divest Google's Android operating system because it believed that the search giant was overly controlling the operating system of its Galaxy smartphones.
He worked on the development of the Tizen operating system, which is still used in devices like Samsung Galaxy smartwatches, sparking negotiations with Google to give manufacturers more freedom.
(It should be noted that although Samsung released Tizen-based smartphones, they were business models and weren't too far off the success of its Galaxy phone line.)
Apple could be the main beneficiary: President Trump has long advocated for the brand to transfer its business from China to the United States and exempted Apple from trade fees imposed on China so that the brand is not required to increase its prices.
Huawei has been a source of fear for Apple recently, with the rise of the Chinese brand that saw it usurp its Cupertino-based rival in global rankings and become a serious competitor in the industry. High-end smartphones, and Trump clearly wants to see the American tech giant doing more of its business at home.
China's concerns with a penalty for Apple phones could continue, but Huawei's founder has spoken out, hoping this doesn't happen.
The Chinese government also does not want Apple to end its activities in the country. This would not only be extremely expensive for Apple, which would still have to source many Asian components to build future iPhones, but also for the Chinese economy by losing such a large customer.
The loss of Huawei as a major player in the global smartphone market could also have a broader impact on smartphones introduced by other manufacturers. The Chinese brand's aggressive development of new technological capabilities has forced its competitors to dramatically improve their devices and stand out, and any less influence would likely slow the pace of development.
Huawei's smartphone camera prowess has undoubtedly launched a race to deliver cameras with ever-improving sharpness, color and image quality over the past two years. The quality of the photos that it is possible to take on a premium phone has improved considerably. The series has consistently pushed the boundaries of what's possible.
The company is also in a race with Samsung to launch the first widely available foldable phone, and the mere existence of the Huawei Mate X has surely forced the South Korean brand to speed up development of its phone, meaning consumers will have access to it. to technology sooner (although Samsung would probably have preferred to wait to deliver the Galaxy Fold ...).