Huawei has announced that its next flagship smartphone will be unveiled later this month – marking the first major product release since its controversial US trade ban.
The Huawei Mate 30 will be launched on 19 September in Munich, though it remains unclear how the world's second largest smartphone maker will fill the gap left by the Google Play app store and key Google apps like Maps
The Chinese technology giant announced the release date across its social media channels with the tag line “Rethink Possibilities”.
Until now, all Huawei smartphones have relied on Google's Android operating system and a suite of core Google apps, however earlier this year the company was blacklisted by the US government amid allegations of spying.
Its place on the US Entity List means US companies are banned from doing business with Huawei, effectively blocking the company from licensing apps developed in the US.
In August, Huawei revealed that it has built a new operating system called Harmony OS, which it claimed could replace Google's Android "immediately" if necessary.
The new mobile operating system is able to run 60 per cent faster than Android, Huawei claims, however it is unlikely to feature on the Mate 30.
The open-source nature of Android means Huawei will be able to continue to run a limited version of Android without having to acquire a license.
Huawei has always stated that its preference is to continue to work with US companies to develop its phones, though this seems unlikely considering the escalating trade war between the US and China.
Since Huawei was placed on the Entity List, more than 130 applications have been made to the US Commerce Department by companies wishing to sell goods and services to the Chinese firm. A recent report revealed that none have yet been granted.
Fortunately for Huawei, one of the stand-out features of its flagship phones in recent years has been its camera, and this is expected to continue with the launch of the Mate 30.
The flagship phone continues its partnership with German camera company Leica, which has seen increasingly advanced photography capabilities in recent iterations of the Mate series.
Rumours surrounding the Mate 30 suggest Huawei is planning to introduce even more camera lenses, with a leaked case revealing space for up to five rear lenses.
The successor to the Mate 20 is also likely to support 5G connectivity.
