The U.S. government has extended the trade block imposed last May by another 90 days: here's what changes for users
The Huawei-U.S. affair doesn't seem to find an end. Six months after the inclusion of the Chinese giant in a black list that prohibits U.S. companies to have commercial relations with Huawei, the U.S. government has announced a further extension of 90 days that effectively makes void the order imposed by Donald Trump.
The Huawei affair is part of a very complicated geopolitical context: on one side the President of the United States who wants to protect national security, on the other side the Chinese company (and consequently also the Government) that in recent years has made agreements and partnerships with many U.S. companies for the sale and purchase of electronic components. Huawei has become an increasingly bulky presence in the US, so much so that it is of fundamental importance to get the phone network into the most remote areas of the country. And that's precisely why the U.S. government has granted an additional 90-day extension (until Feb. 19) that allows some U.S. companies to use devices purchased from Huawei. But the extension doesn't affect companies like Google, Microsoft and Qualcomm, which can no longer sell technology to the Chinese giant.
What's changing for users? Will there be big changes in the future? When the extension expires, will people no longer be able to use Huawei smartphones? These are some of the most frequently asked questions we have to answer. Let's start with the most important news: those who have a Huawei smartphone don't have to worry: they will continue to receive software updates, just as they did in the past. For the rest, it is necessary to clarify.
Huawei Ban, what does the 90-day extension provide
The 90-day extension was confirmed by Wilbur Ross and expires on February 18, 2020, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce (the minister of commerce, to be clear). The reasons for the extension are the same as the previous one: some telephone operators are using technologies from Huawei to bring the Net to the most remote areas of the United States. The extension, however, does not affect the possibility of signing commercial agreements between the Chinese company and those in the U.S., especially Google, Microsoft and Qualcomm.
What changes for those who have a Huawei smartphone
Here we must divide the explanation into two between those who already have a Huawei smartphone and those who want to buy a new one, introduced in recent months.
If you have a Huawei device purchased a couple of months ago, you don't have to worry. Having received Android certification, there will be no problems with software updates. You will receive EMUI 10 and Android 10 in the coming months.
Different matter for Huawei smartphones post trade block. One example is the Hauwei Mate 30 and Huawei Mate 30 Pro. These are two top-of-the-line smartphones that were launched by the Chinese company last September, but still have not been launched on the market due to the lack of Android certification. Without the latter, the smartphones cannot have the Play Store pre-installed or even Google services.
What will happen in the future
It's hard to make predictions three months from now. The Huawei ban is part of an ever-changing geopolitical context, with relations between China and the U.S. at an all-time low, also due to trade tariffs imposed by the two nations. But it is not said that the situation can change from one moment to another. If the relations will change it could be possible to arrive to a cancellation of the Huawei ban by the US Government. We'll see how the situation evolves in the coming months.