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Huawei begins its long-shot transition from Android with a Harmony OS beta for select smartphones and tablets
Huawei's first party operating system, Harmony OS, is now available in developer beta, marking the first transitional step away from Android.
When we talk about mobile operating systems, there are only two major solutions around today: Android and iOS. And Apple's tight control over iOS means that Android is the only true solution for OEMs building their own smartphones. But Android also is very much dependent on Google despite being open-source, thanks to Google's grip with GMS and the entire ecosystem of interdependency around the GMS framework. Huawei has experienced this the hard way, with odds stacked against its favor ever since the U.S. Commerce Department put it on the Entity List, cutting off the company's access to new GMS license agreements. The road without Google's assistance was tough, but Huawei trudged along with its own HMS solutions. The Chinese tech giant is far from giving up on its smartphone business, though, and it now begins a long-shot transition away from a GMS-less Android onto its own first-party OS, Harmony OS.
Huawei has begun rolling out EMUI 11 to its Mate 30 Pro, introducing a number of new features and enhancements to the powerful flagship. Users on Twitter have already reported receiving the update, so check your device now to see if you have it.
The Huawei Mate 30 series will get the EMUI 10.1 update globally next month
A Huawei spokesperson has confirmed to XDA that the stable EMUI 10.1 update will be rolled out to the Huawei Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro in mid-June. Read on!
Due to the US trade ban, Huawei is barred from conducting business with US-based companies. One of the direct implications of this decision in the Android context is that the company can no longer ship Google apps on its phones. However, that isn't stopping the Chinese smartphone maker from providing its phones with the latest software updates via EMUI 10.1.
Huawei P30, Mate 30, and Nova 5T EMUI 10.1 global beta starts rolling out
Huawei has started rolling out the EMUI 10.1 global beta for the Huawei P30 series, Huawei Mate 30 series, and the Huawei Nova 5T.
Earlier this year in March, Chinese OEM Huawei unveiled its newest series of flagship devices — the Huawei P40, Huawei P40 Pro, and Huawei P40 Pro+. Along with the new devices, Huawei also announced a slightly upgraded version of its custom Android 10-based skin, called EMUI 10.1, at the event. Shortly thereafter, the company shared the EMUI 10.1 update roadmap detailing the beta release timeline for older Huawei and Honor smartphones. As per the roadmap, the Huawei P30 and Mate 30 series were scheduled to receive the beta update in mid-April. The company has been on track with the beta release and has already rolled out the update for the Chinese variants of the devices. While it previously hadn't revealed when the update will be available on the global variants, the company is now rolling out EMUI 10.1 beta for the Huawei P30 series, Mate 30 series, and Nova 5T globally.
EMUI 10.1 roadmap reveals beta timeline for Huawei and Honor smartphones
A recent update from the official Huawei EMUI Weibo account sheds light on the EMUI 10.1 update roadmap for several Huawei and Honor devices. Check it out!
Just a few days ago, Huawei unveiled its newest series of flagship devices, which include the Huawei P40, Huawei P40 Pro, and the Huawei P40 Pro+. The Chinese OEM is shipping a slightly upgraded version of their custom Android 10-based UI, dubbed EMUI 10.1, with the P40 lineup. One notable inclusion in EMUI 10.1 is Celia, Huawei's own Voice Assistant, which can be invoked with the hotword “Hey Celia,” or by holding the power button for a second. Now the company has announced the rollout schedule of EMUI 10.1 beta for existing Huawei and Honor branded devices.
Adobe Photoshop Express, Lightroom, and Camera Raw add lens correction profiles for the OnePlus 7T, Huawei Mate 30, and LG G8/V50S
Adobe has added lens correction camera profiles in Photoshop Express, Lightroom for RAW photos on OnePlus 7T, Huawei Mate 30/30 Pro, and LG G8/V50s ThinQ.
Smartphone cameras have witnessed several advancements over the years. Innovations like triple, quadruple, or even quintuple/penta camera arrangements, optical zoom in smartphone cameras, resolution up to 108MP, and most importantly affordable high-resolution 48MP and 64MP camera sensors have allowed many users to renounce or limit their usage of digital point-to-shoot or SLR cameras. For those who prefer taking and editing high-quality and color-accurate images on their phones, several OEMs now allow users to capture RAW quality images from the native Camera apps. Extending support for these users, Adobe has added lens correction profiles in Photoshop, Lightroom, and the Camera Raw plug-in for several Android smartphones including the OnePlus 7T, Huawei Mate 30/30 Pro, LG G8/V50S, etc.
Huawei will launch the Mate 30 Pro in the UK without Google apps later this month
Huawei will be launching the Mate 30 Pro device in the United Kingdom very soon, using Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) as a replacement for Google apps.
Huawei announced its Mate 30 series of smartphones at the end of last year. They bring breakthrough improvements and developments such as a waterfall display in the case of the Mate 30 Pro, all of which set the phones apart from a crowd of phones that, for the most part, all look the same. But there is one incredibly big issue with these phones, as well as with all of Huawei's latest phones: They don't include Google Mobile Services. This isn't a deliberate decision by the company, though. Because of U.S. trade sanctions, Google isn't allowed to enter into new Android licensing agreements with Huawei. That's why the phone has yet to see a major global release outside of a handful of countries in Asia. But it seems that Huawei will be pulling ahead with a Western launch anyway since the Mate 30 Pro will now be launching in the UK later this month.
[Update: Huawei Denies] Report claims Huawei will not use Google services even if US ban is lifted
According to a report, Huawei has stated that it will not return to using Google services on its phones, even if the US ban is lifted.
Huawei experienced great success in the smartphone market in 2018 and early 2019. The company became the second largest vendor in the global smartphone market. In China, it has been the top smartphone vendor since a few years. However, the international ambitions of its mobile business were brought to a halt when the US government added Huawei to its Entity List, blacklisting it from buying goods and services supplied by American suppliers. Immediately, Google revoked Huawei's Android license, preventing it from installing Google Mobile Services (GMS) in new device launches. US-based companies were banned from supplying goods to Huawei. In the months of political developments that have followed, Huawei has gained a temporary reprieve multiple times, but its continued presence on the Entity List means that the basic facts have not changed.
XDA's Top Smartphones of 2019
Some of the XDA Staff have put together their picks for the Top Smartphones (and more) of 2019! Read our picks and tell us yours!
It's truly crazy to think about all of the new technology that is launched in one year. 2019 was no different, of course. Hundreds of phones, hardware advancements, new software features, and even new form factors made headlines this year. So what was the best of the best? Some of the XDA Staff have put together their picks for the Top Smartphones (and more) of 2019! Here's a quick breakdown of our picks. Check out the full explanations below the chart.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Benchmarks: Comparing CPU and GPU Performance with the Kirin 990, Snapdragon 855, and Snapdragon 845
We benchmarked the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 to test its CPU and GPU performance against SoCs like the Snapdragon 855, Snapdragon 845, and Huawei's Kirin 990.
Nearly two weeks ago, Qualcomm invited tech journalists to Maui for the 2019 Snapdragon Tech Summit. At the event, the company unveiled its latest high-end SoC for mobile devices: the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 mobile platform. Qualcomm says the new Snapdragon 865 boasts a 25% CPU performance increase and a 20% GPU performance increase over the previous generation Snapdragon 855. Also, the new SoC supports LPDDR5 memory and is manufactured on a newer 7nm process. Qualcomm's latest silicon will make its way to 2020 flagships like the Xiaomi Mi 10, OPPO Find X2, and many other high-end smartphones.
Huawei Mate 30 and Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 do not use any US-made components
Huawei has been exploring alternatives for components that come from US-based companies, and its latest smartphones come with no US-based parts. Read on!
Huawei's recent trade ban saga was an unfortunate incident, as it restricted US companies from conducting business with the Chinese company. The most prominent collateral damage in this trade war, to a smartphone enthusiast, was the fact that Huawei's newer smartphones like the Mate 30 series will be left without the comforting shade of Google Mobile Services. However, the effects of the trade ban extend beyond software, as smartphones from Huawei did come with several components sourced from US companies. But a report from Wall Street Journal suggests that newer batches of Huawei devices like the Huawei Mate 30 and the Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 do not come with any US-based components.
Huawei Mate 30 Pro goes on sale in Indonesia with preloaded Huawei Mobile Services
The Huawei Mate 30 Pro is going on sale in more regions outside of China, such as Indonesia, with Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) instead of GMS. Read on!
All eyes were on Huawei when it took the stage on 19th September this year to unveil the new Huawei Mate 30 and Huawei Mate 30 Pro. The U.S. Government's trade ban on the company affected its ability to serve its customers, not only in the USA but all around the world except its home country of China. The ban disallowed newer Huawei devices to ship with Google Mobile Services, meaning that users in these regions will not be able to experience Android in the same way as they used to. However, shipping without Google Services was already an ongoing reality in China, and Huawei had adapted itself to thrive in its home country. And because of the trade ban, Huawei now had to adopt the same solutions across regions outside of China. The Huawei Mate 30 Pro is now going on sale in more regions outside of China, like Indonesia, without Google Mobile Services, but using Huawei Mobile Services as the alternative.
HMS Core on Android is Huawei's alternative to Google Play Services
HMS Core on Android is Huawei's attempt at providing functionality similar to GMS Core and Google Play Services. Check out how the company aims to do so!
The Huawei Mate 30 Pro is objectively one of the best hardware releases of this year, featuring practically every meaningful innovation in the phone world so far, and introducing a fair few of its own. However, despite offering one of the best sets of features available on an Android smartphone, it cannot be recommended to a large swathe of users. And the blame for such an exclusion lies solely on the political situation between Huawei and the USA, which has forced the company to release an otherwise-excellent piece of hardware without the most crucial bit of functional Android: Google Play Services. The world could do nothing but watch as an Android giant attempted to figure out its way in a Google-less world. Huawei needed functional and reliable alternatives for itself and its users, and it needed them yesterday.
New workaround gets Google apps running on the Huawei Mate 30 Pro
Huawei Mate 30 Pro users can now sideload Google apps by restoring a backup from a phone that managed to get GApps through Google Services Assistant/LZPlay.
The world set its eyes upon the release of the Huawei Mate 30 series, searching for an answer to the question: "What happens when you take away Google from Android on one of the most widely anticipated phones of the year?" And as we feared and expected, the Huawei Mate 30 and its siblings appeared on stage without Google services pre-installed, relying solely on Huawei's AppGallery as the primary medium of app distribution. This situation was shortlived though, as a "workaround" was spotted in the form of Google Services Assistant, an app that allowed users to sideload Google Play Services and accompanying components on Huawei's EMUI and the Mate 30 series as well as on the Honor 9X Pro. The Google Services Assistant app was hosted on a website called LZPlay.net, so the method commonly became known as LZPlay.
Huawei Mate 30 Pro - A Deep Dive into the Hardware and Software [Video]
XDA TV's TK Bay has the Huawei Mate 30 Pro and he has been posting videos about it. Next up, TK has done a deep dive on the hardware and software features.
The Huawei Mate 30 Pro was announced last week and its launch is certainly one of the most interesting stories we've seen in a while. If you look at the device purely in terms of hardware, the Mate 30 Pro is easily one of the best phones on the market. It has a stunning display, excellent cameras, a great design, and more than enough power. However, and this is a big "however," on the software side, it doesn't have Google apps or services.
How to get Google Play Services on the Huawei Mate 30 Pro and Honor 9X [Video]
XDA TV's TK Bay recently published a video about how to get Google Play Services on the Huawei Mate 30 Pro pretty easily.
The Huawei Mate 30 Pro was officially unveiled last week and there are a number of unusual things about it. First off, it has a very dramatic curved display, which may be off-putting to some people. We already showed you how you can artificially "remove" the curved edges. The next big thing is the lack of Google Play services due to Huawei having their Android license revoked. The good news is there's a way around that, too.
How to hide content on the extreme screen curves on the Huawei Mate 30 Pro [Video]
Some people are going to wish the Huawei Mate 30 Pro had a more traditional display and Huawei has actually included an option to make this possible.
The Huawei Mate 30 Pro was announced last week as the company's next big flagship device. Despite its struggles with the US Government, Huawei is moving forward with a device that likely won't launch with Google apps. All of that aside, this is a beast of a phone with one of the most notable features being the curved display edges.
Huawei Mate 30 Pro wallpapers now available for download
The Huawei Mate 30 Pro, Huawei's latest flagship device, is a very compelling package, and you can now download the included wallpapers to your device!
Just a few days ago, Huawei took the stage to unveil their newest series of flagship devices, which include the Huawei Mate 30 and the Huawei Mate 30 Pro. Keeping sanctions-related issues aside, they are still very compelling hardware packages, with the Huawei Mate 30 Pro being the most advanced and bleeding-edge device of the bunch. With a powerful quad rear camera setup, a super-curved display with an almost 90-degree curve, class-leading face unlock technology and much more, there are still reasons why you might want to grab this device, even without Google apps.
Huawei Mate 30 Pro and Mate 30 Lite forums are now open
We previously opened up forums for the Huawei Mate 30, and now we have forums for the Mate 30 Pro and Lite variants as well.
Today has been a big day for Huawei as the company unveiled the Mate 30 series, Watch GT 2, and more. The stars of the show, of course, ware the Huawei Mate 30 series. In anticipation, we previously opened up forums for the Mate 30, and now we have forums for the Pro and Lite variants as well.
Huawei unveils the Mate 30 series with the Kirin 990 and Android 10
Huawei has announced the Huawei Mate 30, Mate 30 Pro, and the Mate 30 RS Porsche Design. Here are all the specs, features, pricing and availability details.
At an event in Munich, Germany, Huawei officially announced its latest Mate series of flagship smartphones. The new Mate devices are the Huawei Mate 30, Mate 30 Pro, and the Mate 30 Porsche Design. The Porsche Design, once again, is an ultra-premium model that's more of a luxury product. In between those two are the Mate 30 and the Mate 30 Pro, but the Pro model is where most of the attention will be because it's Huawei's direct competitor against the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ and Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max.