Smartphone manufacturer Huawei has confirmed that Google’s next mobile operating system release, Android Q, will be available on its flagship P30 and P30 Pro devices despite President Trump’s blacklisting of the Chinese company.
A source close to Honor, a subsidiary of Huawei, with knowledge of the situation, also said that the Honor 20 series – which includes the Honor 20, Honor 20 Lite, and the Honor 20 Pro – will also receive updates. It was previously reported by Bloomberg that the Honor range of smartphones could be pulled due to the effects of the restrictions, which Honor has denied.
A website launched by Huawei today explains that “technical preparations and testing has already begun for over 17 devices” so that they can receive the Android Q update. Considering there’s a 90 day reprieve before US companies have to end business with Huawei, it’s likely Google and Huawei are trying to get the latest operating system on as many Android smartphones as possible before that window closes.
As well as the devices mentioned above, other Huawei smartphones that will receive the Q update are the Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro, Mate 20 X and Mate 20 X 5G, the P20 and P20 Pro, Huawei’s P Smart line, the Mate 10 range.
Notability missing from that line up is Huawei’s foldable smartphone, the Mate X. Huawei delayed the launch of this device claiming that it needs to be “cautious” after the debacle of the Samsung Galaxy Fold launch.
With the Mate X now likely to come out after the reprieve has expired, it’s also likely that it will not be running Android, but rather the Android alternative Huawei has been preparing for this eventuality.
The smartphone market isn’t the only area of business Huawei is finding difficulty. Microsoft pulled Huawei laptops from its Windows Store, but has said that it will continue to sell “existing inventory.” Many US manufactuers affected by the ban, including Intel and Qualcomm, are reportedly lobbying the Trump administration to lift the restrictions.