Huawei responds to Google by proving that App Gallery is safe and doesn't compromise device functionality
It wasn't long before Huawei responded to Google, which in recent hours has warned Android users of the risks in downloading their apps from Huawei's store, called AppGallery. Huawei, which set up the store as an alternative to Google's Play Store some time ago and is now preparing to launch it globally, said that there is no risk in downloading apps from AppGallery.
Huawei has hundreds of millions of end users worldwide, and last year alone sold 240 million smartphones, making it the world's second largest manufacturer. To date, the HMS (Huawei Mobile Services) ecosystem has 600 million users in over 170 countries worldwide. It is clear, therefore, that the Chinese company has a name to defend. To confirm the security of its AppGallery, therefore, Huawei has communicated some of its features and mechanisms put in place to defend user privacy as well as device security. Some of these security measures, to be honest, seem to be even higher than the ones Google uses for its Play Store.
AppGallery: why it's safe
According to Huawei, AppGallery has a "full cycle" security and protection system, including the verification of developers' real name. A feature, the latter, that the Google Play Store does not have. The review process of apps to be published on AppGallery is in four steps. All user data are anonymized and stored on regional servers according to user's location: there are three regional centers and 15 data centers worldwide.
AppGallery: why it's convenient for developers
After reassuring end users, Huawei also tried to convince developers about the convenience of publishing their apps on AppGallery too. Huawei, for example, has recently released HMS Core 4.0 that adds to the already existing features such as Analytics, Payment and Account Kit. Other features, however, talk directly with the chips built into Huawei's devices (which Google can't do, because apps in the Play Store have to work on devices from dozens of manufacturers).
Huawei HiAI, moreover, is the open AI platform for smart devices developed by the Chinese manufacturer, which allows developers to focus on app development by providing a pre-compiled code base that can be used by everything. Finally, Huawei also launched the "Shining-Star" program and a $1 billion incentive fund to support developers.