Huawei launched a new flagship smartphone on Thursday but it comes
without popular Google apps such as Chrome or YouTube after US sanctions
kicked in, limiting its appeal to consumers.
The Chinese tech giant's Mate 30 phone series, including one for new 5G networks, runs on an open source version of Google's Android
operating system, which by default doesn't come preinstalled with the
US company's suite of popular apps and services that licensed versions
have.
It also doesn't come with the Google Play Store, the main way users outside China access Android apps.
Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei's consumer business, told reporters after the launch that consumers "can download (the apps) by themselves" from third party sites.
"For us, we can't really install the apps."
Huawei,
the world's second-biggest smartphone maker, is fighting to save its
business after the Trump administration blocked access to US components
and technology in May on national security grounds.
Washington has
issued temporary exemptions that let Huawei maintain software for
existing devices, but they don't cover new products such as the Mate 30.
The
Mate 30, powered by Huawei's new Kirin 990 advanced chipset, sports a
four-camera system and screen that curves nearly 90 degrees around its
long edges, for a borderless effect. Prices start at EUR 799 ($880 or
roughly Rs. 62,600).
Huawei is using its own, stripped-down version of Android, whose basic code is provided free of charge by Google.
The
Chinese company's phones are popular in Europe and Asia. but little
known in the US, where its telecom switching gear has been effectively
blocked for years over fears it could be used for spying by China's
communist rulers.
The Mate 30 will go on sale next week in China
but won't hit European stores until next month as the company gathers
consumer feedback, said Yu.
He said the company hadn't expected the trade dispute to last so long when it was planning the launch.
"This
US-China trade war delayed us and is still not stopping, so we've
become the bargaining chip between two great nations," Yu said.
Losing access to Google's mobile apps will make it harder for Huawei to battle Samsung for
top spot in the mobile phone market, because it will be less attractive
to wireless carriers, said Jean Baptiste Su, principal analyst at
Atherton Research.
"I don't think operators will risk having
millions of disappointed customers that rely on Google services (who)
see it doesn't work on their brand new devices," he said.
In a bid
to reduce reliance on Google, Yu said Huawei is spending $1 billion
encouraging global developers to make apps compatible with its own app
gallery, which is mainly used in China. It will take a 15
percent commission, compared with 30 percent rivals such as Apple charge, he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment