Huawei Mate 30 could launch without any Google apps or services

Huawei company executives have revealed that the launch of Huawei Mate 30 will still go ahead in Europe, even though it may not be allowed to use popular Google apps such as Maps and Gmail or its Android OS. The news, given to Reuters, shows that Huawei is still confident about releasing flagship devices, despite the continued shunning it has to weather from the US government.

It’s believed that the Mate 30 will be revealed 19 September, according to Huawei’s consumer business software president Dr Wang Chengl. However, there’s been no official date confirmed, with no future release date in the works either. We’re also not sure which European countries will get the Mate 30 when it’s eventually released but we’ll keep you updated as more news and rumours pile in.

Will the Huawei Mate 30 have its own OS and apps?

The Mate 30 is expected to be the Huawei’s first flagship phone since the US president Donald Trump banned American companies from trading with Huawei. The ban, which has been in place since mid-May, was temporarily lifted shortly after an imposition on 20 May that allowed Google to continue working with Huawei on the Chinese company’s Android devices.

As of last week, this reprieve has since been extended again, but according to a spokesperson for Google, this wouldn’t cover Huawei’s Mate 30, as it only applies to existing, rather than upcoming, devices and services.

A spokesperson for Huawei said that the company would continue to use Android OS, Google apps and the wider ecosystem for as long as the US government allowed it to do so. However, if the ban continues, the company has been very clear that it will continue to develop its own OS, complete with Huawei apps. This would mean anyone looking to buy the Mate 30 or any future Huawei devices, would have to wave goodbye to native Google apps and services.

Can Google still work with Huawei?

We know that companies in the US can apply for a license to have certain products made exempt from the ban, but Google has neither confirmed nor denied whether it had applied for such a license. It has, in the past, said it wishes to continue supplying Huawei with its services, however.

This week, Reuters confirmed that the US Commerce Department had received over 130 licence applications from US companies, highlighting that American businesses are still quite keen to work with Huawei. The trade ban may have been a result of national security concerns but President Donald Trump has since alluded to a lift of the ban as part of a larger trade deal.

It could all change next week, though. So keep an eye out on our Huawei Mate 30 page for details.