The 2019 US embargo is still troubling Huawei today. Since then, the Chinese manufacturer has no longer been able to work with US companies. This also means that since then there have been no more Google apps on the devices. But one development gives hope.
Could Huawei smartphones soon come back with Google apps and 5G? Hope for this change is currently making a decision in the United States. Because how Bloomberg reported the U.S. government has eased restrictions on technology sharing with blacklisted companies.
Huawei since embargo without Google apps and 5G
In 2019, former US President Donald Trump blacklisted some Chinese companies, including Huawei. Since then, US corporations have been banned from doing business with them. This also meant that Huawei not only lost the licenses for 5G at the time, but also those for using the Google apps. In the three years since the embargo, the Chinese company has therefore repositioned itself. Since then, it has only offered 5G for devices in its own country. In addition, Huawei still uses an Android-based operating system (HarmonyOS) for its smartphones and tablets, but with the so-called Huawei Mobile Services, or HMS for short, as a replacement for the Google apps that are so popular in Europe. With them, Huawei offers alternatives for Google Maps, Chrome, etc. in its own app store.
In Germany, however, smartphones and tablets are not an alternative for many users, so sales figures remain low. Because few users are willing to do without the well-known applications from Google and 5G for devices that cost around 1000 euros. The salvation for the company could therefore be a decision in the US to relax restrictions. But will Google apps actually come back to Huawei devices?
Also read: Huawei now without Google – what does that mean for older smartphones?
USA fears new technological developments
The prospects are not that bad. Because according to Bloomberg, the US Department of Commerce issued a rule on Thursday that authorizes the release of certain technologies and software, provided the companies involved can agree on appropriate standards. Huawei is even explicitly mentioned as a company. What one should not forget is that the development of technological standards is mostly an exchange. The USA blocked this itself with its 2019 embargo. U.S. companies’ participation in the development of new standards has been curtailed at a time when Chinese companies have once again stepped up their efforts, Bloomberg said.
The US government wants to avoid new technologies developed by China overtaking domestic ones. Especially those that the US itself considers a threat to national security. You therefore need a controlling authority that intervenes if necessary and implements the set security standards. In return, the US would loosen the market for Chinese companies more – it would be a give and take.
Also read: Huawei is selling its budget brand Honor to survive!
Huawei itself has always denied posing a security risk for the United States or other western countries. Nevertheless, the country has repeatedly faced allegations that it would exploit technologies for espionage. So the fronts are hardened. Still, opening the blacklist would be a real chance for Huawei to regain a foothold in the European market. However, it remains unclear which technologies and software are affected by the easing and whether Huawei will also accept the change. After all, three years were put into the development of our own interface and the HMS. It is possible that you do not want to go back to Google at all – even if this would certainly increase sales again.