Huawei P40 Pro launching in March without Google support - CNET

Huawei P40 Pro launching in March without Google support

Huawei prepares for another huge launch.

Ian Knighton/CNET

Huawei's Mate 30 Pro launched just a few months ago in September, but the company has already locked in a launch window for its next flagship, the P40 Pro. The P40 and P40 Pro will be unveiled at an event in Paris in March, said Huawei consumer group CEO Richard Yu, according to French press.

More consequentially, Yu added the P40 Pro will run on Android 10 without Google Mobile Services. Since Huawei was blacklisted by the US government from using US tech, Huawei isn't able to license Google's software. Android 10 is open source, meaning Huawei is able to access it freely. Google Mobile Services, which is needed to access the Google Play Store, and apps like Maps, Uber and even Google Podcasts, require a license, which Huawei is barred from getting.

This was the same arrangement we saw with the Mate 30 Pro, a phone that's impossible to recommend because of these software woes in spite of a fantastic camera and excellent battery life. An improved battery life and an even better camera setup is what we can look forward to with the P40 Pro, Yu said to French press.

Huawei's phones are likely to continue selling in big numbers, since most of their customers are in China. Google doesn't operate in China, so no Chinese phone has access to Google Mobile Services. As such, Huawei's US blacklisting isn't an issue in its biggest market.