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If the US ban lifts, HUAWEI will push Google apps to Mate 30 “over one night”
In a group interview following the Munich launch of the Mate 30 Pro, Huawei CEO Richard Yu talked about the huge challenge of releasing a major Android flagship without Google services onboard.
Yu was very clear that HUAWEI will not install any Google software on Mate 30 series devices, other of course than the open source AOSP base that forms the foundation of EMUI.
That said, it sounds like HUAWEI is quietly preparing for the best-case scenario: a lift of the US trade ban that prevents it from using any Google services.
When asked whether HUAWEI will push out an over-the-air update to add Google’s apps and services back, Yu emphatically said “over one night.” That’s probably a little hyperbolic, but the exec doubled down and said the Mate 30 update will go out immediately.
If and when the trade war ends, you may get your Google apps back.
We have no reason to believe we’re getting any closer to such a positive resolution of the problem – and it’s positive not only for HUAWEI, but also for consumers, and Google. Yu himself admitted that the company is a “bargaining chip” in the trade war between US and China, though he did say that he expects this “war that is damaging to two great nations” to end sooner or later.
The comment adds a bit of clarity for potential Mate 30 Pro buyers. If and when the trade war ends, HUAWEI will likely get off the hook with the US, and as soon as that happens its phones will be updated with support for all the Google apps you may need.
We still can’t recommend you buy the Mate 30 Pro, not unless you’re happy to jump through a few hoops and to take some long-term risks, like lack of updates. But, if you do find the Mate 30 Pro particularly compelling, and you don’t mind dealing with sideloading for now, you can at least know that HUAWEI is eager to get back to normal – Google apps included.