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Taking out Huawei and ZTE tech from US 5G networks will cost billions more than planned
What's another $3 billion going to hurt?
Back in November 2019, the FCC snuffed out ties with Chinese (government-backed) enterprise, deciding that Huawei and ZTE posed a threat to US national security. Congress later allocated funds and required operators using 5G equipment from either or both vendors to "rip and replace" it all. The FCC estimated that the procedure would cost nearly $1.84 billion at the outset of the project but, as it's now turned out, that figure may have been grossly underestimated.
Huawei has a new plan in the works to sidestep US sanctions
The idea: Licensing its smartphone designs to third parties
Ever since the Trump administration clamped down on Huawei, initially banning the company from selling its products in the US and ultimately stopping it from working with any US businesses, the Chinese conglomerate is effectively barred from making any phones and tablets at all. To combat this issue, Huawei has already sold its sub-brand Honor to a consortium, allowing the ex-subsidiary to use both Android and processors designed in the US, but the company is still struggling to plug the financial hole left by the lack of new self-made Android phones. According to Bloomberg, Huawei now has a new plan in the works how it could sidestep parts of the ban. It wants to license its smartphone designs to third-party manufacturers.
US government tightens ban on Huawei, potentially blocking future updates for some phones
38 new affiliates have been added the entity list additionally
Huawei's temporary license to trade with US companies just expired a few days ago following extension after extension, but the Chinese manufacturer is in for even more trouble. The US Department of Commerce and Department of State have announced that they will further restrict access to US technology and add 38 additional Huawei affiliates to the entity list.
UK may follow US lead with increased Huawei restrictions
The US sanctions on Huawei could make its products less secure
Huawei has had its share of rough times recently. From navigating through the turmoil of the US banning trade, to figuring out how to sell phones without Google's suite of Play services and apps, it's been a period of adjustment for China's largest telecom. And now it appears that the company is facing renewed scrutiny about the use of its technology in the United Kingdom.
Google seeks trade ban exemption from US government to continue working with Huawei
Google isn't ready to give up on one of its biggest partners just yet
A month ago, Austrian Huawei manager Fred Wangfei said the company wouldn't return to Google's apps and services even if the US trade ban lifted. The Chinese conglomerate tried to backtrack on that statement, but it would still make sense for it to work on its independence in case it finds itself caught in the middle of another trade skirmish. For Google, this isn't the best situation as it could lose a lot of revenue if Huawei succeeds. That's why it has made a formal application to the US government seeking permission to trade with Huawei, as reported by the dpa via Heise.
As Huawei's ongoing legal troubles with the US government begin to yield financial hurdles, the Chinese OEM has ignited a new legal quarrel, this time with a popular US phone carrier. Huawei has officially filed two lawsuits against Verizon Communications on the grounds of patent infringement.
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Huawei got caught in the middle of the US/China trade war and has been cut off from Google's apps and services for more than half a year now. That forced the company to quickly create a Google-less Android variant to ensure phones like the Mate 30 Pro could ship. Even though it looks like the US and China are coming to terms with each other and Huawei's ban might be lifted soon, the manufacturer has told Austrian newspaper Der Standard that it still won't return to Google's services.
Despite facing a slew of challenges throughout 2019 that threatened to grind Huawei's global business into oblivion, the Chinese phone manufacturer has somehow managed to defy its own financial expectations and surpass one of its most powerful competitors. The latest financial reports are in, and Huawei has officially overtaken Apple to become the second largest global smartphone vendor in 2019. However, Q4 data shows that darker times may soon be ahead.
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For the third time this year, the US Commerce Department has granted another 90-day reprieve to Huawei that lets American companies continue to do business with China's biggest telecom. The new rule takes effect on November 18th, and it follows the first extension granted in May and the second in August.
By now you’re probably familiar with the Huawei ban. Back in May, as part of the US government’s pointless trade war with China, Huawei was put on an “entity list” preventing American companies from doing business with the Chinese giant. As a result, Huawei lost access to Intel and Qualcomm’s chips, Microsoft and Google’s software — like Windows and Google Mobile Services (GMS) — and much more US tech.Huawei mostly makes phones using its own Kirin processors, so losing access to Qualcomm’s hardware isn’t a huge issue. The company can also continue using Android since it’s open source. But losing access to GMS means new Huawei phones cannot run Google’s apps or services, or third party apps that use Google’s APIs — a deal breaker in many markets, including Europe, where Huawei handsets are extremely popular.The first two phones from the Chinese company to launch without GMS support are the Huawei Mate 30 Pro and the Honor 9x Pro (Honor is a sub-brand of Huawei). I recently received a Chinese-market Honor 9x Pro review unit from the PR team, and so began my first serious experience using an Android phone without GMS. I’m writing this article to share my trials and tribulations on this mad journey, from the perspective of someone who relies extensively on Google’s apps/services.
Huawei has had a tumultuous year. First came the government ban preventing the Chinese manufacturer from fraternizing with US-based businesses, effectively severing Huawei's license to use Google's apps and services on its popular Android phones. Then came rumors that Huawei was scrambling to release its own mobile operating system to replace Android, which has yet to materialize. Huawei has even forecasted a major revenue hit for the 2019 fiscal year, but a new report regarding the company's ban status yields a bit of light at the end of the tunnel.
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- According to Nikkei Asian Review, Huawei's folding Mate X may also skip out on Google apps and services when it goes on sale, expected to happen later this month. The phone has already suffered delays pushing the release from June until September. If it had launched on time, it may have been able to sneak in the release before the Google's ability to license software to the company expired.
According to a report published today by Reuters, Huawei's upcoming Mate 30 series of phones may have to eschew Google's apps as a result of the trade ban imposed by the U.S. government. While the phone should still be able to run Android, given the free and open availability of the software, deeper integration with Google's apps and services like the Play Store and YouTube will be missing if an exemption can't be secured.
Huawei is being given another 90-day reprieve by the U.S. government, following the Temporary General License (TGL) issued back in May. That provides the company with three more months to continue purchasing goods from U.S. companies. While this extension might sound like a step towards dropping the Entity List import/export ban for good, the government is clear that the extra few months are merely meant to "afford consumers across America the necessary time to transition away from Huawei equipment."
When the US added Huawei to the Entity List last month, it sparked a series of troubles for the Chinese manufacturer that are beginning to have significant consequences on its shipments and revenue. Indeed, the company has been banned from doing business with US organizations, which means it had to stop its working relationships with chip manufacturers and even Google.
The Huawei ban has been a nightmare for the company, with organizations ranging from Google to the Bluetooth SIG having been pressured into severing ties with it, but it's not all bad news — Facebook bloatware apps can no longer be pre-installed on Huawei devices, according to Reuters.
It's no secret Huawei has been going through some serious issues after it's been added to the US Entity List, preventing it from doing business with US companies. Indeed, most of the manufacturer's American partners were fast in cutting their ties with it, ranging from Google to chip manufacturers. ARM's decision to do the same also prevented the Chinese firm from continuing to build its Kirin chips, which were featured in most of its devices. Although Huawei is trying to overcome these woes with in-house software and working with Aptoide to put in place a Play Store replacement, it's struggling to convince the world about its viability. For instance, UK carriers have halted the commercialization of the conglomerate's devices due to the current situation. New information reports Foxconn stopped manufacturing Huawei's devices, further confirming the company is in trouble.
Huawei is in deep trouble ever since the US Department of Commerce has banned American companies from doing business with it. The implications are reaching far broader than being cut off from Android – issues include WiFi and Bluetooth certification, ARM licenses for CPUs, and more. However, the Chinese conglomerate has repeatedly stated that it has a backup OS in place which is supposed to roll out in fall (though rumors have been very contradictory about it). Now, we also have a possible name thanks to the European Union Intellectual Property Office: "Ark OS."
While there's been plenty of talk about the consequences of Google, ARM, Qualcomm, the SD Association, the Wi-Fi Alliance, carriers, and the USB-IF no longer working with Huawei, one company has been kept out of the discussion to date: the Bluetooth SIG.