Like Apple, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer hopes to be able to offer Google apps through its own app store AppGallery.
Last week, Huawei presented the Huawei P40 series through an online press conference. These are, after the previously proposed Mate 30, the first smartphones that Huawei will launch in Europe without Google services. Due to the trade ban with American companies, Huawei can no longer rely on Android and popular applications from Google such as Google Maps and Gmail.
AppGallery
Huawei then developed its own alternatives to replace Google. Android was replaced by HarmonyOS, Google Mobile Services by Huawei Mobile Services, and Google Play by AppGallery. But at Huawei they have never put up with the fact that Google is a big loss for them. Therefore, they looked for ways to bring back Google apps in a way. Sideloading, for example, is a way, although it is not really supported by Google.
In an interview with CNBC, Huawei CEO Eric Xu noted that Huawei also prefers to offer Google apps in an official way. The Chinese smartphone manufacturer sees the solution in its own app store AppGallery. Just as Apple can offer Google applications through its AppStore, Huawei wants to do that through the AppGallery. Yet it is rather doubtful whether the US government will give Google permission to do so.
Disappointing turnover
The absence of Google apps does have a major impact on Huawei’s sales figures. In China, Huawei is not so bothered by that, because smartphones there were already sold without Google anyway. But outside Europe, sales fell significantly after the trade ban was imposed. Huawei’s consumer arm turned 61 billion euros throughout 2019. That is a nice figure, but 9 billion euros less than expectations. Total company turnover was 112 billion euros. In April, Huawei expected to be able to run 123 billion euros in 2019.
