Huawei’s New Android Phone Lacks Luster Without Google Apps

A tech powerhouse, the Mate 30 Pro falls prey to trade war
Built around Huawei’s own Kirin processor with integrated 5G

Richard Yu holds the Huawei Mate 30 smartphone in Munich on Sept. 19.Photographer: Michaela Handrek-Rehle/Bloomberg

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By Nate Lanxon and Oliver Sachgau

September 19, 2019 at 12:30 PM UTC

Updated on

September 19, 2019 at 2:57 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

The impact of the Trump administration’s blacklisting of Huawei Technologies Co. was laid bare as the Chinese company unveiled a flagship Android-powered smartphone that lacks any licensed Google apps.

Announced at an event in Munich on Thursday, the Huawei Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro mark the brand’s first top-of-the-range device launch since it was forbidden in the spring from trading with American partners.