Huawei claims it will be ready to start replacing Google apps

Huawei claims it will soon be ready to start replacing Google’s apps with its own native alternatives on smartphones

Huawei’s India consumer head, Charles Peng, hinted at the developments
The Chinese tech firm is looking to develop replacements for Google’s app suite
To this end Huawei is courting app developers based in both China and India
Google apps can no longer be sold with new Huawei phones due to a US ban

Published: 16:06 GMT, 24 December 2019 | Updated: 16:12 GMT, 24 December 2019

Chinese tech firm Huawei has hinted that it will soon be ready to replace Google apps with its own native alternatives on its smartphones.

A Huawei executive let slip the apparent impending developments — which will include native replacements for Google’s mail, maps, messaging and payment apps.

The tease follows rumours circulated last week that the firm’s upcoming premiere smartphone offering — the P40 — will ship in March 2020 without Google software.

The move follows restrictions imposed by the US Government on Google’s trade with Huawei, which prevents new phones from being sold with the former’s apps.

The ban — implemented in May — was born from allegations that the firm has close ties with the Chinese government and represents a threat to US national security.

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Chinese tech firm Huawei has revealed that it will be ready to replace Google apps with its own alternative on its smartphones from the end of the year

The shift to in-house apps was heralded by Huawei’s consumer head in India, Charles Peng, on December 24, 2019.

‘We have our own HMS and are trying to build a mobile ecosystem, Mr Peng told India’s The Economic Times.

‘Most of the key apps such as navigation, payments, gaming and messaging will be ready,’ he added.

The move will see Huawei construct its own counterpart to Google Media Service (GMS), whose future on these Chinese firm’s devices has become precarious following the restrictions announced by the US Government earlier this year.

Among the apps bundled with GMS are Gmail, Google Drive, Maps, Navigation, Pay and YouTube.

“Consumers won’t see a difference between GMS and HMS,’ Mr Peng has claimed — a statement hard to reconcile with GMS’ proprietary nature.

‘We are focusing on how to work with developers to offer a good customer experience. It is a challenge that we are trying to address,’ he added.

The move will see Huawei construct its own counterpart to Google Media Service (GMS), whose future on these Chinese firm’s devices has become precarious following restrictions announced by the US Government earlier this year. Pictured, a Huawei Android phone

According to The Economic Times, Huawei and its subsidiary brand Honor are endeavouring to surmount this challenge by recruiting app developers in China and India to port their wares to the new smartphone platform.

‘Huawei HQ is in touch with China developers and the India developer base will help us in India as well as regions like Europe,’ Mr Peng reportedly said.

‘In every country, we will focus on bringing top 100–150 apps to customers through HMS.’

To achieve this in India, the firm is offering an incentive of to $17,000 (around £13,100) for the integration of apps with the new media service.

The capital for this incentive is being supplied via the $1 billion (£0.8 billion) fund Huawei established earlier this year to aid in its competition with Google

‘We will create an end to end business model with developers, content and service providers. We will provide value to them,’ Peng added.

‘If [developers] work with us closely, the cost to get new customers will low. Huawei is among the top three handset makers with a huge market share.’

WHAT IS HARMONYOS?

Huawei unveiled its own mobile operating system in August 2019.

It is called HarmonyOS and the Chinese company could use to power its smartphones instead of Google’s Android.

Huawei currently uses Android to power its smartphones and other devices, but has admitted it was developing its own OS as a ‘plan B’.

The revelation that the upcoming Huawei handsets will not have Google apps means HarmonyOS will likely play a starring role.

Earlier in the year, Huawei was ostracised by Google and had its access to Android removed following allegations of spying before Donald Trump reinstated the Chinese firm’s privileges.

At the company’s developer conference in southern China, Huawei said HarmonyOS would be first used in a new Honor smartphone.

Chief executive Richard Yu said the new operating system could be used in phones, computers, tablets and wearable devices such as smartwatches.

However, he said at the time that the Chinese firm’s ‘priority’ is to still use Android in its devices, though it could easily switch to Harmony at any point if necessary.

The firm said it has been developing the software for more than two years but its importance did not become urgent until earlier this year.

Experts are reportedly sceptical, however, when it comes to predicting the success of Huawei’s plans for the media services platform.

‘It is going to be very tough for Huawei/Honor to sell the phone based on their own suite. They would need to double down on efforts for India,’ market intelligence firm IDC India’s Navkender Singh told The Economic Times.

‘In case they have to go ahead with Harmony OS and the trade war issue remains unresolved, they will have to rely heavily on developers more than ever before,’ added Tarun Pathak, an associate director at Counterpoint Research.

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