In short, yes, Android runs on Huawei phones, but you won’t be able to access Google Play Store.
Learn more on Huawei phones and how they run Android.
Are Huawei phones still Android?
What is more serious is that I already talked about it extensively in my Huawei Mate 40 Pro review last year. Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei’s device business, said at the time that there was a Plan B, but they’d rather work with partners like Google and Microsoft — something the company still maintains and does to some extent. Huawei quickly found a loophole related to the Huawei ban and Google’s compliance with Trump’s executive order. Let’s remember that Huawei phones sold in China don’t have Google Mobile services anyway, but the international market is heavily dependent on the Play Store and other apps.
Which Android version is Huawei?
The EMUI 12 update for older global versions of Huawei smartphones is based on Android 10, as a newer Android version such as Android 11 or a move to HarmonyOS could disrupt the functionality of devices running Google Mobile Services such as the Huawei P30 and Mate 20 series. It could be a matter that Huawei doesn’t want to touch any of the compatibility parts of existing GMS service owners by installing the latest Android version, which is not officially supported by the phone manufacturer. After the launch of Android 12, many people have asked about the basic version of EMUI 12, Huawei’s new custom mobile software. This means that the old phones that were launched earlier, including the Huawei P30 series, are still running Android apps natively.
Will Huawei get Google back in 2022?
Considering how they handled the entire global launch of Harmony OS, I really don’t see a bright future for Huawei outside of China. With the Huawei-US ban coming into force, the company had to completely rework the way it creates and releases smartphones. Now Huawei is preparing to launch the Mate 50 on 6. September to be launched in China, one day before the rumored launch event of the iPhone 14. Immediately after Entity List events, Huawei was banned from accessing Google Mobile Services (GMS) on new devices.
There aren’t many other companies that could develop processors for Huawei that don’t involve US companies or devices.
Can Huawei use Google Play?
Before that date hit, Donald Trump signed a bill banning rural US airlines from using Huawei equipment. Huawei devices still run on Android and Bluetooth is a cross-platform service, so everything should work as you’d expect. Without access to Google apps, millions of Huawei smartphone owners were understandably concerned that their phones would suddenly stop working properly. The order also did not clarify whether the US government would help airlines pay for the removal of Huawei devices.
It appeared that the order was primarily aimed at Huawei’s telecommunications operations, which would mean the wireless network devices, particularly those related to 5G.
What Can You Do?
HarmonyOS also has a feature called “Super Device,” which just seems to be a network feature in the sense of Google Cast, AirPlay, or Bluetooth. With today’s announcement, Huawei appears to have two completely different operating systems, which it calls “HarmonyOS”. You can’t run the emulator locally on your computer where it could be checked more thoroughly. Instead, it runs remotely on a server somewhere in China and videos of it are streamed to your computer. Huawei has been developing Android smartphones for almost as long as Android has existed.
HarmonyOS is said to be the answer to this problem, so Huawei wants to sell the operating system as an internal creation that allows it to free itself from US influence.
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