Huawei has confirmed its first smartphone made without access to Google apps will be released in the UK later this month.
The Mate 30 Pro was first revealed in September last year but did not receive a UK release date.
That was due to Huawei being unable to support the full suite of Google apps on newly released phones because of trade restrictions placed on the company by the United States, which left the Mate 30 unable to offer access to popular apps including YouTube, Gmail and Google Maps.
The US effectively blacklisted the company in May last year, amid allegations that the company was a threat to US national security because of alleged close ties to the Chinese government – something Huawei has always denied.
Huawei has been able to continue using Android – Google’s operating system for mobile devices – because that software is open source, but without access to the Google Play Store, which hosts the millions of apps available on Android.
The Chinese firm has since promoted and enhanced its own AppGallery app store as an alternative to Android.
Huawei has now confirmed the Mate 30 Pro will go on sale in the UK for £899 on February 20, with the device sold exclusively through Carphone Warehouse.
Anson Zhang, managing director of Huawei’s UK consumer business group, said: “We are delighted to bring the Mate 30 Pro, a device which unleashes the full potential of the smartphone, to the UK.
“Huawei prides itself on delivering stand-out experiences for our customers – and the Mate 30 Pro is the ultimate expression of that philosophy, redefining what is possible on a smartphone.”
The device comes with a 6.53-inch display as well as a quadruple rear camera system which includes two 40-megapixel lens, an eight-megapixel lens and a 3D depth-sensing camera.
Huawei’s announcement comes on the day rival manufacturer Samsung is due to unveil its own new line of flagship smartphones, as well as a new foldable device, which the company teased during a TV advert shown during the Oscars on Sunday night.
