[ad_1]
Huawei’s phones may be on the verge of losing Google Mobile services.
Owners of Huawei smartphones with full Google services on their phones have so far escaped any problems with the US government putting Huawei on its entity list. This list prevents US companies from providing hardware and software to the Chinese brand, which includes Google.
However, until last week, a series of temporary general licenses meant phones like the recently re-released Huawei P30 Pro in improved form and in cool new colors were safe, receiving all upgrades. Software updates and security updates from Google just as easily as any other Android phone maker.
The latest news is that the company’s access to electronic components has been further limited, so future phones will have to be built in different ways. Equally important, the temporary general licenses were not renewed, as Forbes collaborator Zak Doffman reported. The details of what these developments will mean are only starting to become clear.
Right now, what should you do if your phone is a Huawei?
Curve is one of the latest apps from the Huawei AppGallery.
1. Don’t panic.
Your phone is not going to suddenly stop working. So far nothing has changed. In some ways, the effect is similar to when Google stops supporting an older operating system: it will work perfectly fine, thank you very much, but the next update probably won’t be available. In fact, it’s better than that, because in addition to Google Mobile Services (GMS) on your phone – that means things like Gmail, Google Maps, and the Google Play Store – there’s open-source Android, which is used. on the latest Huawei phones without GMS. This underlying version of Android will continue to be updated
Again, at this point it’s unclear, but the worst-case scenario seems to be that your phone will stick with the version of Google Mobile Services it is currently using. Google Maps, for example, will no longer receive updates, but will work as is currently.
2. You are always safe.
Huawei has said on several occasions that it will ensure that the open source Android on the phone is secure now and in the future. Security updates, as opposed to OS updates, can be sent out quite easily for phones and I don’t think that’s a problem to worry about.
3. Everything will be alike.
Well almost. Huawei phones, whether or not they have Google mobile services, have the company’s own EMUI overlay that sits on top of Android. This means that the interface will not change at all, even if GMS is removed. The almost refers to apps that need GMS to work, like Gmail, YouTube, Play Store, and Google Maps. They will look different because they will not be updated.
The Huawei P30 Pro New Edition currently has Google mobile services, but not for much longer, it … [+]
4. There are alternatives.
If you haven’t tried them, the apps available for non-GMS Huawei phone users can be quite durable. Here, WeGo Maps is a great navigation app, with features that even Google Maps can’t match. For example, you can save money abroad on roaming charges by using offline mapping app, by downloading maps of the entire country in advance. These offline maps can be searched but do not contain current traffic information, for example.
And Huawei is working on its own mapping service in conjunction with TomTom. Huawei is probably the only company other than Apple that has the resources to invest in a mapping app that could challenge Google Maps.
In recent days, Huawei has announced more apps that will appear in Huawei’s AppGallery, the company’s equivalent of the Google Play Store. Most notable of the newcomers was Curve, the financial app – you can read more about that and other newcomers here.
The latest Huawei P40 series lacks Google Mobile Services.
5. The AppGallery is growing rapidly.
Of course, the store is still tiny compared to the Google Play Store, but, with 81,000 apps, it has a decent range, although it lacks a lot of big-name apps at the moment. As that changes, however, users can focus on the AppGallery which, after all, comes preinstalled on every Huawei phone.
When the day comes when you want to trade in your current phone, Huawei’s next cutting edge hardware will almost certainly have no GMS on board, so the brave new world of Huawei-enabled apps will be waiting for you. With each day, this change seems to get a little easier – although it still isn’t smooth enough for many.
6. Someday, a post-Android world?
Huawei has always said it wants to use Android as its phone’s operating system. But he has his own OS, Harmony, waiting backstage. Already used on some other product categories, Huawei could one day introduce it to its phones, if Android proves too ticklish to use.
It’s a bit of free time, and Huawei would only do that, I think, if it had a critical mass of apps it could offer, including a lot of everyone’s favorite apps. Note that Huawei says Harmony is faster and more efficient than Android, so it’s possible that it could one day prove to be a real alternative to Google’s operating system. And, thanks to this EMUI overlay, it will always look the same. We’re not there yet, however.
In the meantime, as things become clearer, check back for more details on what the new changes will mean for the business.
Follow me on Instagram by clicking here: davidphelantech and Twitter: @ davidphelan2009
[ad_2]
Source link