Sometimes it seems that some manufacturers should dominate the smartphone market, but in reality it turns out a little differently. As practice shows, good hardware, an excellent camera and a pleasant appearance do not yet guarantee that smartphones will fly apart like hot cakes. Examples include the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and Huawei P40 Pro. The former is not for sale because of its price, and the latter due to the lack of Google services. Every smartphone is not yet doomed to success if it has good specifications. But what to do with Huawei when they are doing well with hardware? Bury in full health, or have to wait?
Huawei still has the last word. Or maybe not.
What is Google Mobile Services
Google Mobile Services are Google apps that are often installed on devices Android. GMS is not part of an open source project Android (AOSP), which means that a manufacturer Android must obtain a license from Google to legally pre-install GMS on a device Android. This license is provided by Google without any license fees.
Until recently, we did not even think that Android – a smartphone is primarily Google Mobile Services (GMS). The events of the last year have shown us that without this, even the most top-end smartphone is simply not needed by anyone. Yes, Huawei is trying as best it can and releasing its analogs, but this is not the case, and people are not ready to support the company with a wallet. We can say that the absence of GMS is suicide.
Surveys on the Internet and discussions in our Telegram chat show that most people do not want to give up Google mobile services on their Android smartphones. The AppGallery situation can be called teething in a child. It hurts, it is unpleasant, it is not clear what to do with it, but they have to grow. So the company is trying one by one to raise its new services. They even brought in a voice assistant. True, so far these are all milk teeth. The question is, will we wait for real sharp fangs?
Google Mobile Services is almost the best thing about our smartphones.
Can I use Huawei without Google
For many years, the smartphone market has been divided into two camps. Some are called Yabloko and they “cook in their own juice”, while the latter are a little more free, but highly dependent on the decisions of Google and those on whom it depends.
The main distinguishing feature of those who, by chance or at the call of their hearts, chose Android, is a high degree of individuality. They can customize their smartphone the way they want. True, only if you follow the path prescribed by Google. This is especially true for developers, who must consider the SDKs and APIs developed by Google in order to link their applications with Google services. Including sharing services connecting to Google.
Against this backdrop, the tightly interconnected ecosystem makes it nearly impossible for a manufacturer like Huawei to compete in the smartphone world. Many of the applications that have been developed so far only work in the GMS environment. This is a problem that Huawei should be struggling with. Installing an application on a smartphone is half the battle. It is much more difficult to get it to work with the services you want. However, fortunately, the most basic applications still work even on new ones Huawei and Honor, but sometimes they need to be installed via APK, which is a little more complicated.
Huawei Mobile Services should be an alternative to modern mobile foundations.
Can Huawei work on Android
Yes, Huawei continues to use the operating system Android for their smartphones. However, due to the circumstances surrounding the trade war, Huawei can no longer work with the GMS platform. As a result of the US embargo, the Chinese company is unable to obtain a Google license and has found itself in a quandary due to the large number of Google services and applications that smartphones rely on Android. In order not to leave the smartphone market entirely, the Chinese company is intensively working on its own platform known as AppGallery or Huawei Mobile Service (HMS).
Users Android are lacking trusted and trusted Google services like Gmail or the Play Store. Even if Huawei already has famous apps in the store, such as TikTok or Amazon, the main thing is that other developers want to spend resources on developing software compatible with AppGallery. To facilitate this, Huawei has offered developers through the HMS the appropriate APIs and SDKs, although it's hard to predict that they are reliable and widely used by developers compared to what Google suggests.
Before we write off Huawei, we must remember that we are looking at this from the perspective of the Western world. If we look at China, Huawei is doing well domestically. In this part of the world Huawei has up to 38.5% of the smartphone market in Q4 2019, well ahead of companies such as Apple, which increased its market share to 14 ,4%.
Looking at this from a commercial point of view, it's hard to believe that app developers would only focus on purely Western markets. Just to be able to keep selling apps in the Chinese market with the ability to open up a new user base. That is, its users are the main resource Huawei. Those who trust her and are ready to continue using her smartphones.
It will be a pity to lose Huawei.
The additional fact that Huawei is not yet time to give up is how cleverly it can bypass the ban and continue to release some models of smartphones from those that were certified before the restrictions were introduced. They can be produced under any name and in any case, the main thing is that the key characteristics do not change. So you can hold out for some time in the market of inexpensive smartphones, which has always been the main source of income for the company. During this time, you should try to make your own full-fledged application store.
Google also needs a strong competitor and will do its best to get back close to Huawei. Apparently, the words of her boss that Google needed them more than they needed her were not bravado.
When Huawei and Google start working together
So far, against the background of continuing bans, there is a feeling that never, but both companies understand that they need each other. As a result, the ideal option for both would be some kind of compromise, in which each would retain its own interests.
Guys let's be friends.
It's not for nothing that Google is trying to achieve some kind of exceptions to the ban. So it would be possible not to open full support, but simply to open services. The applications would work fine, and Huawei would be only glad, as it would not prevent her from developing her system.
In general, the situation is complex, but interesting. Both sides of the conflict are strong and can offer an answer. This is not a situation where ZTE suffocates quickly enough. Huawei is a much tougher nut to crack. Even if she loses in the end, it's always a pleasure to watch the game. It's like the Champions League final. One team will definitely lose, but it's interesting to watch.