Huawei News
Huawei Mate 30 Pro can no longer install Google apps, as researcher exposes backdoor
As part of a protracted war against Huawei, the US placed the company on an entity list, banning any US business or person from working with the Chinese manufacturer. That meant that, while it could use the open source version of Android, which is common in China, Huawei couldn’t use Google’s services. And in the west, the twin worlds of Android and Google Play are seen as indivisible.
The two devices that Huawei has released since the ban, the Honor 9X in China and the Mate 30 series, both ship without Google Play. In its place, Huawei is hoping that its own store, the App Gallery, will mature enough in the west to satisfy people’s thirst for the apps they know and love. That’s not very likely, however, since companies like Facebook have already backed off supporting Huawei devices in future.
Huawei locked the boot loader on the Mate 30, but a nod-and-wink workaround existed for both the Mate 30 and the 9X in the form of LZ Play. If you were prepared to risk your device’s security (LZ Play required administrator rights despite its sketchy provenance) you could download the app and use it to access Google Play. From there, you could then download the apps you crave, and demand, from your Android phone.
Using apps to route around the Google ban is not uncommon, with apps like GO Google Installer being used on western phones brought to China. In this case, however, GO Google Installer didn’t work for the Mate 30 series.
On October 1st, developer John Wu wrote about how LZ Play uses undocumented Huawei APIs inside the OS that are used for device security to trick Google servers. Wu suggested that Huawei knew about the secret tools LZ Play used, and either encouraged, or turned a blind eye to its use. After all, it meant that enthusiasts had a way of getting Google Play onto devices that otherwise would be blocked.
According to the official information, the Huawei released the delisting announcement of its Petal Mail App. The full text of the announcement is as follows: [translated]
Thank you for your continued attention and support to the Huawei Petal Mail App. In order to better adapt to the changing needs of product experience, service content and local markets, we have made strategic adjustments to the Huawei Petal Mail App.
The Petal Mail App will officially switch to the Email App on December 31, 2024, and the Petal Mail App will no longer be available for download from the App Store. The Petal Mail App you have installed can be used normally. We apologize for the inconvenience. You can continue to view, send or receive emails in the pre-installed Email App on your Huawei phone or use a computer browser to open the Petal Mail official website ( https://www.petalmail.com ), and your emails and personal data will not be lost.
Huawei released the Mate 70 series of mobile phones, with a starting price of 5,499 yuan. At present, the prices of spare parts for the new Mate 70 series have been announced on Huawei’s official website.
Huawei Mate 70 lineup repair spare parts prices announced
Battery and motherboard
Mate 70
Battery — 199
12GB+256GB — 2499
12GB+512GB — 2899
12GB+1TB — 3599
Mate 70 Pro
Battery — 199
12GB+256GB — 2899
12GB+512GB — 3299
12GB+1TB — 3999
Mate 70 Pro+
Battery — 299
16GB+512GB — 4399
16GB+1TB — 4899
Mate 70 RS
Battery — 299
16GB+512GB — 6499
16GB+1TB — 6999
Camera
Huawei officially announced the new FreeBuds Pro 4 headphones. This is the first TWS headset equipped with HarmonyOS NEXT and will be officially launched at the Huawei Mate Brand Festival on November 26.
As can be seen from the poster, the headset adopts an in-ear design with black and gold color matching, and the overall shape is similar to the previous generation. With the support of the new system, FreeBuds Pro 4 is expected to bring more functional upgrades.
For reference, Huawei FreeBuds Pro 3 was released in September last year with an initial price of 1,499 yuan . It is equipped with the Kirin A2 chip that uses Polar code, supports Star Flash connection core technology and Bluetooth technology, and the new L2HC 3.0 protocol.
