You've probably heard about an ongoing issue with Huawei using the Android OS in its upcoming smartphones. Though the details are changing, this is what we know so far.
In May, Google suspended its relationship with Huawei in light of a US government executive order that prevented American companies working with businesses deemed a "national security risk". This effectively cut Huawei off from Android - the operating system powering its smartphones.
US technology companies were given a 90-day reprieve in which they were allowed to continue to work with Huawei. This expired on August 19, but the US government has now provided a secondary 90-day extension, which will run until November 19.
US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced the reprieve today, but the decision was accompanied by some bad news. Ross said the reprieve was granted to to allow US customers more time to "wean themselves off" Huawei products, and in addition, added another 46 companies affiliated with Huawei to the economic blacklist.
Huawei, understandably, isn't thrilled.
"It's clear that this decision, made at this particular time, is politically motivated and has nothing to do with national security," said the company in a statement. "These actions violate the basic principles of free market competition. They are in no one's interests, including US companies."
"The extension of the Temporary General License does not change the fact that Huawei has been treated unjustly."
We don't know the full consequences of these decisions yet, but it has major implications for Huawei as a business, and potentially, for anyone who owns a Huawei smartphone.
What does this mean for future Huawei smartphones?
Android is an open source operating system, the base version - Android Open Source Project (AOSP) - is free for anyone to use. AOSP, however, doesn’t include Google's apps or services. These include the Google Play Store, Google Maps, YouTube, Gmail, and more. In order to ship a phone with Google apps, a manufacturer needs to license these from Google.
Existing Huawei handset already in consumer hands will continue to run Google apps and services, but Google will not provide licenses for its apps and services for new smartphones. Phones like the popular P30 Pro will not be affected by the change.
Huawei has however confirmed that is managed to negotiate access to Android Q for its smartphones during the reprieve, so it will be able to update existing models. Unfortunately this does not include the upcoming Mate 30. It has been confirmed that this phone will launched without licensed Google Apps..
Huawei can continue to use AOSP without Google's involvement for future smartphones, but selling an Android phone without access to the Google Play Store (and popular Google apps) would be all but impossible in most markets.
In addition, Huawei is developing its own operating system, dubbed HarmonyOS. It is built to run on anything from smartwatches to smartphones to laptops, but the first HarmonyOS powered device will be a smart TV and it is unclear how long we'll wait before we see a phone running this software. In terms of mobiles, Huawei firmly sees HarmonyOS as a plan B.
Speaking at Huawei's Developer Conference in China, Dr. Chenglu Wang told us Android and Google will always be the company's first preference.
“If we are allowed to do so, we will continue our partnership with Google,” said Dr. Wang.
Unlike other operating systems, like Amazon's FireOS, HarmonyOS doesn't use AOSP as a foundation; HarmonyOS is an entirely new operating system. This does mean developers would to redevelop exisiting apps, a process known as porting, for HarmonyOS.
While Huawei says it will be easy for developers to port Android apps to HarmonyOS, there's always the question of whether devs will bother, and more importantly, if US companies can do so without violating the trade ban. For example, the trade ban could make it impossible for HarmonyOS to run Facebook.
What happens to my Huawei smartphone?
All existing Huawei devices will continue to function as normal for the time being. The Google Play Store and Google apps will all still work, and Huawei phones and tablets will continue to benefit from Google Play Protect security.
"Consumers with Huawei devices will still receive security updates and be able to use Google apps," said Huawei Australia's Director of Corporate Affairs, Jeremy Mitchell, in a statement.
"Huawei will continue to provide after-sales services to all existing Huawei smartphone and tablet products, covering those that have been sold and that are still in stock globally."
The US Commerce Department has given Huawei a temporary license to provide software updates to existing Huawei handsets, which should allow it to continue deploying the monthly security updates provided by Google. This temporary license is now in effect until November 19, 2019.
Even after the temporary license expires, Huawei should still be able to provide security updates for its Android devices. However, Huawei will only be able to deploy these after they're made available to AOSP. This could delay security updates.
While Huawei should still be able to deliver security updates to existing devices, there's a much larger question when it comes to major operating system updates. Huawei has negotiated access to Android Q, but it is unclear of what will happen after.
When the Huawei ban first went into effect, we reached to local telcos selling Huawei products.
Telstra is still selling the Huawei P30 Pro and provided the following statement:
"We are in ongoing contact with Google and Huawei and are working with them to ensure no impact or disruption to our customers," said a Telstra spokesperson.
Optus is still selling both the Huawei P30 Pro and Huawei P30, and provided the following statement:
"The implications of this are not yet fully known, and the situation remains fluid as the US Government further defines its order, Google provides clarity on its actions, and Huawei decides on next steps," said an Optus spokesperson.
"We will continue to communicate with customers when new information is available and remain committed to trying to reach the best outcome for Optus customers."
Vodafone is in a similar situation, and is also in discussions with Huawei and Google. Both the Huawei P30 Pro and Huawei P30 are still available through Vodafone.
"We are working with Huawei and Google to understand the implications, if any, to Vodafone customers, however there is no immediate impact to in-market products," said a Vodafone spokesperson.
"We are committed to making sure that our customers have the best possible experience with Vodafone and should there be any future impact to Huawei devices, we will have a range of options available for customers to choose from."
Should I still buy a Huawei smartphone?
If you're thinking about buying a Huawei smartphone, the decision isn't quite clear cut. The situation is still developing, and there are still unknowns that need to be addressed.
If you buy a P30 Pro today, for example, it will still ship with the Google Play Store, it will still run Google apps, and Huawei will still offer post-purchase support, and it sounds like it will be upgraded to Android Q. We don't have concrete answers on security updates, other than Huawei's pledge to continue delivering them, even after the reprieve ends.
However, we do know if you do go out and buy a Huawei smartphone today, you won't lose any functionality out-of-the-box.
Can the Huawei Android ban be resolved?
The breakup between Google and Huawei hinges on the executive order that prevents US companies dealing with companies deemed a national security risk. However, some say the ban is about trade, rather than national security, including Huawei's UK executive vice-president, Jeremy Thompson.
"We’re in the middle of a trade war between two big countries so the timing of this is to inflict maximum hurt on our organisation. We’re a football in between this trade war," said Thompson in an interview with BBC Radio 4.
The current US administration is renowned for being unpredictable, so it's hard to guess what's next. For example, it's possible the government could soften these restrictions to avoid affecting consumer products. However, the US's actions will almost certainly be informed by how the Chinese government responds.
Does Huawei have an alternative to Android?
Huawei has been developing its own alternative to Android as a "plan B" in the event of a situation like this, and we now know a little more about it. Dubbed HarmonyOS, Huawei's operating system is a completely fresh piece of software designed to run on anything from a smartphone to a TV.
Existing Huawei smartphones will continue to run Android for the foreseeable future, but it's possible that we'll eventually see a HarmonyOS powered handset from Huawei. For the time being, Huawei says HarmonyOS will be used for devices targeting the Chinese market. It does however aim to bring the software to other markets.
If Huawei is able to power its phones with its own software, it would still need app developers to come to the party in order to have the mainstays consumers expect. And even then, there are questions around whether US companies such as Google and Facebook would be able to develop apps for Huawei without violating the executive order.
Does Google's decision affect companies like OPPO and Xiaomi?
The US Government Executive order only affects Chinese manufacturers that build equipment used in phone networks, such as Huawei. Other manufacturers, like OPPO and Xiaomi, which are purely consumer-facing (unlike Huawei, neither have an enterprise business), seem safe for the time being.
Alex Choros
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