Huawei Mate 30 may not launch with Google apps – report

MANILA, Philippines – Huawei’s next flagship, the Mate 30 – rumored to release on September 18 in Munich, Germany – will reportedly not be able to launch with official Google apps, according to a Reuters report. 

A Google spokersperson told Reuters the new phone can’t be sold with official Google apps including Play Store, Gmail, Maps, and location services because of the US ban preventing American companies from supplying Huawei. The spokesperson explained that the current ban reprieve – announced last week and set to end on November 19 – does not apply to new products including the Mate 30. 

Google made the same confirmation to The Verge, which specifically mentioned that the Mate 30 Pro will also not be getting the services. The report said that the two ban reprieves – the first of which came in May 2019 – only applies to previously released phones. 

US companies can apply for exemptions to the ban, and Reuters said about 130 companies have applied. Yet none have been approved by the US Commerce Department, the government body overseeing this particular issue.

Google did not say whether it applied for the exemption. 

Huawei has also prepared its own OS, HarmonyOS, designed for use not just in phones but all sorts of devices, but has adamantly stated that they aim to continue using Android. Android has an established ecosystem worldwide, which may be hard to match with a new OS, especially if Huawei intends to stay competitive against other phone giants. (READ: Despite new HarmonyOS, Huawei intends to stick to Android for its phones)

The company has also been preparing its own app store, but one problem there is that US companies such as Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter may not be able to put their apps in there, according to The Verge. – Rappler.com