Google says Huawei Mate 30 can’t be sold w/ Android or Google apps

Ben Schoon | Aug 28 2019 - 10:37 am PT

According to a report today, Huawei’s next smartphone is going to launch without some crucial features. Apparently, Google has confirmed the Huawei Mate 30 can’t be sold with a supported version of Android or Google apps and services.

Reuters reports that a Google spokesperson confirmed that, under the US ban on Huawei, any newly released products from the company can’t be sold with a licensed version of Android or Google’s various apps and services. Specifically, this relates to Huawei’s upcoming Mate 30 smartphones.

Surprisingly, Huawei representatives tell Reuters that it still plans to launch new “high-end smartphones,” aka the Mate 30 series, without Google’s help. The launch, which is apparently scheduled to take place on September 18, would mark the first major launch from the company since the ban took effect. The Honor 20 Pro, which we recently reviewed, did go on sale after the ban, but was already certified by Google.

An extension granted to Huawei by the US earlier this month allows the company to work on products already on the market, but new products such as the Mate 30 are not included in that. Companies such as Google are required by the US to get a license to work with Huawei, and despite 130 companies asking, the US Government has granted none. It’s unknown whether Google has requested a license.

A supposedly leaked ad for the Huawei Mate 30 Pro

Huawei previously confirmed that it hopes to continue to use Android in its smartphones, but if the ban is not lifted, its own HarmonyOS would be used in the future. In that same discussion, Huawei confirmed that the Mate 30 would be using Android, but this latest news seemingly confirms Google’s services won’t be available. When it revealed HarmonyOS, Huawei also apparently confirmed that the Mate 30 series hadn’t been certified by Google.

Notably, Reuters says that its sources have not been able to pinpoint the launch date for the Mate 30 series. It seems possible that Huawei could delay the phone’s launch in hopes that the ban is lifted, but details on that are still largely unclear.