The news that Google has blocked Huaweis future access to Android updates for both apps and timely security updates not only casts doubt over the entire future of the Chinese smartphone manufacturers business, it also could have wide-ranging implications for the future of the global smartphone market.After US President Donald Trump placed Huawei on the entity list, limiting the business US brands could do with Huawei, Google has been forced to restrict the company's access to the Google Play Store, which means that in the future users wont be able to gain access to popular titles, nor to speedy security updates to the Android OS.In short, Huawei will no longer be able to offer access to crucial Google apps, and will be severely limited in how quickly it can give users access to the latest versions of Android, and the new features and security updates those offer.Update: The US Commerce Department has issued a temporary license for Huawei to work with businesses in the US, meaning Google can resume its partnership with the brand.
However, this only lasts until August 19 and it's unclear how Huawei will be able to gain the full license to work with US brands while the government considers it a threat to national security.So it seems, for now, that this is nothing more than a delay to a hugely difficult time for Huawei.What does that mean if I have a Huawei phonePerhaps the most useful piece of information about current Huawei phones is Google's statement issued to TheIndianSubcontinent:We are complying with the order and reviewing the implications.
For users of our services, Google Play and the security protections from Google Play Protect will continue to function on existing Huawei devices, a spokesperson told us.However, there is one nugget of good news if youve just spent large amounts of money on a Huawei P30 Pro: as alluded to above, current devices from the Chinese brand will continue to get security updates and access to the Google Play Store for the foreseeable future, as Google has promised not to leave those out in the cold.The temporary lifting of the ban will also allow the brands to prepare better Android support for current and future models, meaning that Huawei will be able to do bueinsess as it has been for a little longer - so current customers will be able to benefit for longer.Huawei has also told us that it will continue to do all it can to support all its phones currently out in the wild, and is looking at other implications of Google's decision.The company told us: Huawei has made substantial contributions to the development and growth of Android around the world.
As one of Androids key global partners, we have worked closely with their open-source platform to develop an ecosystem that has benefited both users and the industry."Huawei will continue to provide security updates and after-sales services to all existing Huawei and Honor smartphone and tablet products, covering those that have been sold and that are still in stock globally.We've asked for comment regarding the recent lifting of the ban, but Huawei has not responded as yet.
Whether this will allow the flexible Mate X to launch with 'full fat' Android remains to be seen, but that's likely to be a huge target for the brand as it's spent enormous sums marketing that model since the unveiling in February and is keen to lock in its reputation as a technological leader.The fact that current models will be offered updates doesn't mean you can rest easy if youre a current Huawei owner though how long this support will last for is, as yet, unclear and it's unlikely to continue for years to come.While most smartphone brands will only honor security updates for two to three years after launch of a new handset, one might expect this to be much shorter in the case of Huawei phones, given these new restrictions from Google.Will future Huawei phones still use AndroidThe move from Google means it will no longer work with Huawei directly on issuing updates to its system, and won't give the company access to the Google Play Store.
This is a potentially critical blow to the brand, which only recently spoke out about its plans to be the world's largest smartphone manufacturer.This means that if Huawei wants to keep using the Android operating system, it will need to use the Android Open Source Platform (AOSP), which is a free platform that any brand can use as an underlying foundation for its products.However, it along with the Google Play Store it wont have access to the core Google apps like YouTube, Google Maps and Chrome these are core elements of Google's business that it's not duty bound to make available to anyone.Without access to the Play Store, Huawei would be forced to work directly with developers to get them to create versions of their wares for its phones.
This situation would be similar to that of Amazons Fire OS, which is based on AOSP but has its own app store, as the retail giant seeks to control the platform its Fire tablets and Echo devices run on.If Huawei does have to use AOSP, the consequences could be devastating, as access to a fully-stocked app store is crucial to the success of any modern smartphone Nokia and Microsoft failed to make Windows Phones a viable alternative to Android and Apples iOS, even though both brands poured millions into developer tools and enticing the top app creators onto their platform.However, Huawei has claimed that it's been developing its own alternative to Android for nearly seven years, calling it a Plan B thats ready to go should it lose access to the services listed above.In the latest statement to TheIndianSubcontinent, Huawei said: We will continue to build a safe and sustainable software ecosystem, in order to provide the best experience for all users globally, which sounds like it already wants to generate some positive hype around its alternative OS.How this would work is currently unclear, as Huawei also said it would rather continue working with brands like Google and Microsoft (whose Windows operating system runs on Huawei laptops) to offer the best experience.Huawei has been working hard on developing its own AppGallery and other software assets in a similar manner to its work on chipset solutions.
Ben Woods, Chief of Research at CCS Insight, told TheIndianSubcontinent.
There is little doubt these efforts are part of its desire to control its own destiny.It seems unlikely, however, that the Chinese brand would have developed viable alternatives to all the top Android apps for its next round of smartphones.If Huawei loses access to the Google Play Store, it would take an enormous amount of investment to attract developers to create app options that would keep users of its smartphones happy and you have to wonder whether the brand would feel it was worth continuing to make phones at all when faced with that kind of hurdle.The same would also apply to Honor, the sub-brand of Huawei phones, in the future.
Honor might have tried to distance itself from its parent company, but its been confirmed that it will be subject to the same sanctions.However, the launch of that brands Honor 20 smartphone is still going ahead as planned so its clear that devices currently created and in the supply chain are still going to be supported in the Android ecosystem.What about other brands What does this mean for the wider smartphone world(Image: TheIndianSubcontinent)While these sanctions dont currently affect other brands, the message being sent is clear: global politics can have dramatic implications for the manufacturing and marketing of consumer devices that have become indispensable for billions of people.While theres currently no issue with brands headquartered in other parts of the world, a similar sanction could see other smartphone manufacturers forced into a costly rethink.A few years ago Samsung seriously threatened a breakaway move from Googles Android operating system, as it felt the search giant had too much control over the operating system on its Galaxy smartphones.It worked to develop the Tizen OS, which is still used on devices like Samsung's Galaxy smartwatches, triggering negotiations with Google about allowing more freedom for manufacturers.(Its worth noting that while Samsung did release smartphones based on Tizen, they were budget models, and didnt come anywhere close to the success of its Galaxy phone range).The big beneficiary here could be Apple President Trump has long advocated for the brand to move its operations from China to the US, and exempted Apple from the trade tariffs imposed on China so that the brand wouldnt have to raise its prices.Huawei has been a thorn in Apples side of late, with the rise of the Chinese brand seeing it usurp its Cupertino-based rival in the worldwide rankings and become a serious competitor in the premium smartphone space and Trump clearly wants to see the US tech giant do more of its business back home.However, moving its operations from China would be incredibly costly for Apple, and it would still need to source many components from Asia to build future iPhones, so its unclear what the effect would be, both on the company and the US economy.The loss of Huawei as a major player in the global smartphone market could also have a wider impact on the smartphones other vendors are pushing out.
The Chinese brands aggressive development of new technological capabilities has forced rivals to significantly improve their devices and push out new advancements of their own, and any diminution of its influence would likely slow the rate of development.Huaweis smartphone camera prowess has arguably kickstarted a race to offer cameras that deliver ever-better sharpness, color and overall image quality in the last two years the quality of the pictures it's possible to take on a premium phone has improved dramatically as the brand's P series has relentlessly pushed the boundaries of whats possible.The company is also in a race with Samsung to bring out the first widely available foldable phone and the Huawei Mate Xs mere existence surely forced the South Korean brand to speed up its development of a bending handset, meaning consumers will get access to the technology earlier (although Samsung probably would have rather waited to deliver the Galaxy Fold).So is it all over for HuaweiThere is a glimmer of hope for Huaweis continued use of Android and the capabilities that offers.The recent ban lifting means there's a real chance that negotiations can be entered into with the US government, allowing the brand to prove itself 's afe' and move out from the middle of the trade war between China and the US.
This is far from certain, but things certainly look a lot less bleak for the brand.Google has also confirmed that it's reviewing the situation, and the implications of the US sanctions it doesnt want to limit the reach of its Android ecosystem, and US brands like Qualcomm are going to be severely impacted by the Huawei restrictions, so will likely lobby to have this decision re-examined.However, if Google is forced to cut Huawei off from future Android security updates and access to the Play Store, then it could not only make things difficult for Huawei, but may cause consumers to view any Chinese brand with suspicion and given the proliferation and technological prowess of the latest phones coming out of that country, that would also have a huge impact on the industry.So while this move seems to only affect Huawei right now, its going to have a knock-on effect for the entire industry, and will most likely have implications for the next smartphone you buy and it could also mean the rise of a new mobile operating system, and potentially a serious challenger to Android.vHdvWTgFUsVq7r73rVPPh6.jpg#