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It has been just a few days since Google launched its developer preview version of Android 11. This has made many optimistic about an early Android update. But what about Huawei and Honor phones? Will their users receive the next major update after the spat with the US? Here in this article, we will see if Huawei and Honor phones will receive the Android 11 update. And if they do receive the update, which models will be eligible for receiving official updates?
Huawei Android Updates After Ban
Huawei was at a peak in the first quarter of 2019 after they launched their flagship grade P30 Pro and Mate 20 Pro devices. It went ahead of Samsung in terms of sales, and everything was going smoothly for Huawei. They even launched their version of a foldable phone, the Mate X. But soon after, everything collapsed for them. The US government imposed a forced ban on Huawei, stopping their trade with the US.
This meant that Huawei could no longer work with Microsoft, Qualcomm, or Intel, but what proved to be the fatal point was the termination of usage of Google apps and services. Hardware is not an issue for a Chinese company at all, but the challenge arises from the software side. This ban meant the end of service from Google for Huawei devices. However, Android itself is an open-source program.
For Huawei users' questions regarding our steps to comply w/ the recent US government actions: We assure you while we are complying with all US gov't requirements, services like Google Play & security from Google Play Protect will keep functioning on your existing Huawei device.
— Android (@Android) May 20, 2019
Even after the ban was confirmed and imposed on Huawei devices, every eligible device was promised to receive the upcoming updates. Huawei launched the Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro with Android 10-based UI out of the box. The P30 and P30 pro were the first in line after that to receive the Android 10 update, post the ban. However, Huawei did not stop there as several Huawei devices were launched after that, and all of them were running Android 10-based OS out of the box. This list includes Mate 30 RS Porsche Design, MatePad Pro, Nova 6 SE, Nova 6, Nova 6 5G, and Nova 7i. Even Huawei’s sub-brand Honor launched the Honor V30 and V30 Pro with Android 10-based Magic UI running out of the box.
Will Huawei and Honor phones receive Android 11 update?
Huawei has been working perfectly fine when considering the hardware part of things. Almost every piece of hardware needed for a smartphone is available in the Chinese market. The problem lies in the fact that there is no longer Google Mobile Services (GMS), which means losing out on Google applications like drive, maps, photos, store, and many more.
Despite these shortcomings, Huawei has been pushing out the updates for their devices without Gapps. There is no doubt Android 11 will make its way in the future and even present eligible smartphones from Huawei and Honor. This is because Android is open source, and Huawei can keep working on it to release their versions every year. They have also made it clear that they do not have the interest to welcome back GMS in the future. On the contrary, they are working on their very own take on mobile service, Huawei Mobile Service (HMS). They have already started connecting the applications in the Google Play Store to their app store. Currently, they have around 4,000 developers working together to make this plan a reality.
Now, will future Huawei and Honor phones get Android 11? Most definitely, yes, as we have already seen how big of a corporation Huawei is. It is really unlikely that they will fall or lose face. Android is open source, which means even Huawei can work on it and tweak it according to its liking. There is news about a whole new OS, called Harmony OS, from Huawei, but it takes some years to develop. At least for the coming few years, Huawei will keep on using Android, and even future Android versions will be pushed out to Huawei and Honor phones.
List of Huawei phones expected to receive Android 11
- Huawei Mate 30
- Huawei Mate 30 Pro
- Huawei Mate 30 RS Porsche design
- Huawei Enjoy 10
- Huawei Enjoy 10s
- Huawei Enjoy 10 Plus
- Huawei P30
- Huawei P30 Pro
- Huawei Mate 20
- Huawei Mate 20 Pro
- Huawei Mate 20 X
- Huawei Mate 20 Porsche RS
- Huawei P40 Lite
- Huawei P40 (Upcoming)
- Huawei P40 Pro (Upcoming)
- Huawei MatePad
- Huawei MediaPad M6
- Huawei Mate X
- Huawei Nova 6/ 6 SE/ 6 5G
- Huawei Nova 5/ 5 Pro
- Huawei Nova 5T/ 5Z
- Huawei Nova 5i/5i Pro
- Huawei Nova 7i
List of Honor phones expected to receive Android 11
- Honor 9X
- Honor 9X Pro
- Honor V30
- Honor V30 Pro
- Honor V20
- Honor 20
- Honor 20s
- Honor 20 Pro
- Honor 20 Lite (Youth Edition)
