Huawei’s newest flagship, the Mate 30 Pro, is finally set to launch in the UK on Feb. 20.
The smartphone has faced significant challenges, largely the trade war between the US and China, which required Huawei to ditch the official version of Google—including the Play Store and Google's official apps.
If successful, however, this launch could lay the groundwork for Huawei’s upcoming smartphone, the P40 and P40 Pro, in Europe. Neither smartphone will come with Google services, but greater willingness from the public to use third-party app stores rather than rely on the omnipresent Play Store could give them a boost.
The Mate 30 Pro will be available exclusively at Carphone Warehouse, priced at ￡899 with a pair of Huawei’s FreeBuds 3 headphones and the 46mm Huawei Watch GT 2. Huawei is encouraging customers to use third-party app stores such as Amazon to download apps such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
The phone's pre-order website on Carphone Warehouse suggests the companies are prepared for some confusion from customers; there will be a “dedicated VIP support team on hand for you once purchased.”
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Chinese manufacturers are reportedly attempting to subvert Google’s app dominance by forming a new Global Developer Service Alliance (GDSA), which would allow them to coordinate the release of apps on their own respective stores. Xiaomi, Huawei, Oppo, and Vivo—the four manufacturers behind the alliance—are planning to launch in March, although this may be delayed because of the coronavirus.
Huawei is also investing heavily in its own app store, called the AppGallery, putting in $26 million to fund British and Irish app developers. Huawei has its own Android-based operating system, HarmonyOS, in development too, but little has been said of it by the Chinese giant since it was announced.
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