Google deals Huawei major blow by cutting Android licence

Google deals Huawei major blow by cutting Android licence
Huawei has relied on the Google-developed Android operating system to power its popular range of smartphones.
Google apps and services will not feature on future Huawei phones
Google apps and services will not feature on future Huawei phones

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Google has dealt a major blow to Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei by blocking the firm from using critical apps and services like Gmail and YouTube on its range of smartphones, according to reports.

Just like other major smartphone makers including Samsung and LG, Huawei relies on the Google-developed Android operating system to power its mobile devices.

But, amid a US crackdown on Chinese technology companies due to ongoing security concerns, Reuters and The Verge report that Google has suspended business with Huawei and in doing so hugely undermined its lineup of handsets, which are among the most critically-acclaimed and best-selling on the market.

Huawei has become one of the world's leading smartphone manufacturers
Huawei: The company and the security risks explained
Huawei: The company and the security risks explained
The assessment of the Chinese state as hostile towards Western nations is key in understanding why Huawei is considered a risk

Existing products will no longer receive Android updates, which bring new features and security improvements, and future releases will lose access to the vital Google Play Store, through which users download new apps.

Huawei will instead be restricted to using a public version of the operating system called Android Open Source Project, which does not include standard Google apps like Gmail, Google Maps, Google Photos and YouTube.

Google says there are 2.5 billion active Android devices worldwide
Although Huawei smartphones are banned from the US, enormous sales figures in China and impressive growth in parts of Europe has seen the company overtake iPhone maker Apple in terms of market share.

The Verge reported earlier this month that Huawei was now only behind Samsung when it comes to global smartphone sales, with 59.1 million shipments in the first quarter of 2019