Huawei News
Huawei Mate 30 Pro can no longer install Google apps, as researcher exposes backdoor
As part of a protracted war against Huawei, the US placed the company on an entity list, banning any US business or person from working with the Chinese manufacturer. That meant that, while it could use the open source version of Android, which is common in China, Huawei couldn’t use Google’s services. And in the west, the twin worlds of Android and Google Play are seen as indivisible.
The two devices that Huawei has released since the ban, the Honor 9X in China and the Mate 30 series, both ship without Google Play. In its place, Huawei is hoping that its own store, the App Gallery, will mature enough in the west to satisfy people’s thirst for the apps they know and love. That’s not very likely, however, since companies like Facebook have already backed off supporting Huawei devices in future.
Huawei locked the boot loader on the Mate 30, but a nod-and-wink workaround existed for both the Mate 30 and the 9X in the form of LZ Play. If you were prepared to risk your device’s security (LZ Play required administrator rights despite its sketchy provenance) you could download the app and use it to access Google Play. From there, you could then download the apps you crave, and demand, from your Android phone.
Using apps to route around the Google ban is not uncommon, with apps like GO Google Installer being used on western phones brought to China. In this case, however, GO Google Installer didn’t work for the Mate 30 series.
On October 1st, developer John Wu wrote about how LZ Play uses undocumented Huawei APIs inside the OS that are used for device security to trick Google servers. Wu suggested that Huawei knew about the secret tools LZ Play used, and either encouraged, or turned a blind eye to its use. After all, it meant that enthusiasts had a way of getting Google Play onto devices that otherwise would be blocked.
Huawei is getting ready to release a new super-thin phone called the Mate 70 Air. Some details about this phone have already been leaked online, and now a new picture has appeared showing what it looks like.
What the phone looks like
A promotional poster for the Huawei Mate 70 Air was leaked today. The phone looks similar to other phones in Huawei’s Mate 70 family, but it’s much thinner.
The back of the phone has a round camera area with Huawei’s XMAGE camera logo on it. The edges of the phone appear to be shiny and polished. The back cover has a textured surface, similar to another Huawei model called the Mate 70 Pro+.
What’s inside the phone
There isn’t much information available yet, but the Mate 70 Air might be a mid-priced phone. Early reports said it would have 12GB of memory and either 256GB or 512GB of storage space. However, newer information suggests it will actually have 16GB of memory.
The phone is expected to have a large 6.9-inch screen. It will also have a high-quality main camera.
Other features
Unlike Apple’s iPhone Air, the Huawei Mate 70 Air will have a slot for a physical SIM card. The phone will run on Huawei’s HarmonyOS 5.1 software. It will come in three colors: black, white, and gold.
Huawei is expected to launch this phone in November, around the same time as its Mate 80 series.
Tipster Digital Chat Station has confirmed that the Chinese tech giant Huawei will release new phones called the Mate 80 series in November. These new phones will have better designs, cameras, and speed.
The company is expected to compete with Apple’s new iPhone 17 phones. Huawei will make four different Mate 80 phones: the regular Mate 80, Mate 80 Pro, Mate 80 Pro+, and Mate 80 RS. Each phone will have different cameras. The regular Mate 80 will have a 50-megapixel camera.
The Pro version will have a bigger 50-megapixel camera. The Pro+ and RS models will have even bigger 50-megapixel cameras.
The Pro model might have a flat screen and face recognition. The Pro+ and RS models might have curved screens that bend more.
The best phone, the Mate 80 RS, might have a 6.9-inch screen with special technology.
This screen should be brighter, use less battery power, and last longer than normal phone screens. Huawei might also use strong titanium metal for the frame and special glass on the back. Inside the phones, there will be a new chip called the Kirin 9030. The battery might be bigger than 6000mAh and charge very fast – 100W with a wire and 80W without wires. The phones might work with 5G internet and satellite communication.
The phones will use Huawei’s own software called HarmonyOS. This might work better with other Huawei devices and have more AI features. Some people think these improvements will help Huawei compete better with Apple, especially in battery life, communication, and smart features.
A Chinese company called HiSilicon Semiconductor just changed who’s in charge. The old boss, Xu Zhijun, stepped down from his job as the legal representative and chairman. Now the company’s CEO, Gao Ji, is taking over these roles.
Xu has been working at Huawei since 1993 and still has other important jobs there – he’s a vice chairman and sometimes serves as the rotating chairman. Him leaving this position is probably just Huawei moving people around to different jobs within the company.
HiSilicon is completely owned by Huawei and makes computer chips. This change in leadership might mean Huawei is trying to make things work better.
HiSilicon started in October 2004 when Huawei took its computer chip design team and turned it into its own company. The main office is in Shenzhen, but they also have offices in Beijing, Shanghai, and other cities in China.