Ever wondered what’s it like to run Android without Google’s services and applications? Well, get a Huawei device.
A smartphone UI isn’t much use without apps, of course, and here is where Huawei hits its first hurdle. Huawei has its own store called AppGallery, which it claims is the third largest in the world based on its more than 400 million monthly active users. The vast majority of those users will be in China, of course, where the Google Play Store has never been included alongside AppGallery. If you buy a Mate 30 Pro now anywhere in the world, though, AppGallery is what you get out of the box.
To be blunt, it is not great. I wouldn’t call it barren — there is support from major US companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Snap. You can’t get Chrome, of course, but Opera is there if you want something with desktop sync. But a huge amount of its content is aimed at China, with other big Western names like Facebook, Slack, Netflix, and Twitter missing, which puts the Mate 30 Pro in a more precarious app situation than even the diciest days of Windows Phone. Huawei has announced a $1 billion plan to help stock AppGallery’s shelves, but it has its work cut out.
A bigger problem is that even if you can get popular applications installed, they often won’t work properly because the device lacks the Google Mobile Services. It’s an incredibly hard situation for Huawei to be in.
I’ve partially de-Googled over the last three months. That is to say I’m using raw LineageOS with only Microg to do the basics needed.
Haven’t found it particularly difficult, althoigh I’ve had to sacrifice some apps. Nothing that can’t be mostly replaced in functionality though.
For me it’s worth the sacrifice to know I’m not shovelling my data to Google because I forgot to unchecked a box somewhere.
I got a Huawei-phone for work.
Besides the bad battery-life and lack of physical keys (it’s a smartphone with all its drawbacks), I have nothing to complain about.
Googleless model or a legacy phone?
With Chrome, but without Playstore.
We got it just when the embargo hit.
I’ve been de-googled for years, faster phone, and battery life…
I have a Radicale server that provides calendar and contact syncing, (one diary is shared with my wife)
f-droid provides things like a satnav app and a few other tools.
In a world where privacy is being gradually eroded who needs google?
that said my phone isn’t a multi media entertainment platform, its you know a diary / satnav / calculator / general information retrieval device, occasionally its also a phone!
Under-phil,
Same here. I wouldn’t recommend installing LineageOS with microg to a novice. Depending on the device, there are risks and potential problems whenever you manually flash android. Just getting these installed can take more advanced skills and tools. However once it’s installed, it’s just like vanilla android that anyone can use (minus google’s apps of course). The microg build of lineageos was exactly what I need to fully de-googlify my phone.
My biggest gripe is that the latest lineage for my phone is built from android 9, which has google’s stupid restrictions prohibiting owners from scanning wifi networks. It’s infuriating and arbitrary what google did to disregard owner authority and not give us any option to turn it back on. Google finally fixed this with android 10, which I cannot get without buying a new phone 🙁
Finishing sentences…
“Living a Google-free life with a Huawei phone…”
…
“… to live a Dictatorship-full-tracking life on a Chinese Government”.”
franzrogar,
Yeah, it’s hard to get genuine privacy these days. Regardless of where you live, big brother is everywhere always watching. Then on top of that you’ve got the private companies that tons of financial incentives to spy on activities of their own users.
Heck, even phones from US companies can have chinese spyware and I’m sure the opposite is true too.
https://www.theverge.com/2016/12/2/13824940/blu-android-phone-chinese-user-data-theft-google
I feel this has become a long term systemic problem, and it probably won’t get better in part because so many don’t care.
Yea, Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablets aren’t popular at all.
Tablets are a different use case. You might want to look at the history of Amazon’s attempt to make a Fire Phone, though that project had much larger problems than a lack of Google services that helped bring it down.
P.s. Most fire tablets I’ve seen have either been used as pure consumption devices (unlike smartphones) or have had the Google Playstore and services sideloaded.
Ohh!!Anyone talk about again about notice, just a few days and this it. This article is really great! i like it so much! I think we have a short documentary Movie4k about that.
Their prices are high or have risen in this case. Its platform to watch https://www.movie4k.movie is great it is seen in high definition from your phones
Well, Huawei must switch (and support) to \ e \ then:
https://e.foundation/