You’d buy a Huawei phone again if Google support returned

Huawei has been through a ton of challenges since it was subjected to US sanctions back in May 2019, as software, component supplies, and even its in-house chip capabilities were affected by the US move.

The biggest effect from a consumer point of view is probably the lack of Google support, as the US trade ban means that new Huawei devices can’t run Google Mobile Services.

It’s been almost two years since the trade ban, but that got us wondering whether Android Authority readers would buy a Huawei phone again if Google support returned to the company’s devices. Or do enthusiasts have second thoughts? Here’s how you voted.

Would you buy a Huawei phone again if GMS returned?

Results

We posted the poll on January 27, 2021, and a grand total of 11,195 votes were cast as of writing. The results clearly show that the vast majority of respondents (86.9%) are willing to buy a Huawei phone again if the company regained Google support.

It’s easy to see why voters would buy a Huawei device again if things change, as the company’s last few Google-free flagship phones have generally delivered fantastic hardware. In fact, our own Ryan-Thomas Shaw called the Mate 40 Pro a contender for best all-round smartphone of 2020 when it came to hardware, but bemoaned the lack of Google support.

Furthermore, fellow reviewer Oliver Cragg said the P40 Pro Plus was a “brilliant piece of engineering,” while stopping short of recommending the device due to (you guessed it) the lack of Google support. And the device beat Samsung by offering a 3x and 10x camera combo first.

A grand total of 13.1% of respondents said that they wouldn’t buy a Huawei phone even if Google came back to the table. Voters cited everything from Huawei’s approach to developers, the pending introduction of HarmonyOS, and the firm’s Chinese trappings as a reason to avoid the brand.

Comments

• PhoenixWitti: I’ve said, since the beginning of the sanctions against them, that the only way I would buy a Huawei phone is if they PERMANENTLY gave up Google support.
• Kevin Hoang: I’d rather wait for them to release their official OS on the up coming p50.
• Faisal Shahzad: i’ll still buy Huawei phones if it doesnt support google play services
• SanBlarnoi: As long as i cant put a custom rom on the device when i want to (e.g. no more updates from huawei), its on my ignore-list.
• DigitalBenny: I have a Mate 20 Pro (Last Mate to have GMS) still going strong, but if a new Mate was released with GMS I’d buy it in a heartbeat.
• Santoren: No because Huawei is a shady company with too many ties to the CCP.
• Joel: Yes, Absolutely….but it would have to be a phone that’s sizeable 7″+….aka, the Mate 20x, that would be more like 18.7:9, Not a String Bean 20.5:9 phone that most everyone else is making…..OH, and NO Waterfall anything. Flat as a pancake baby! 
• Wongwatt: I’d buy a P40 Pro Plus tomorrow if it had official Google support.
• veesonic: We never had any Huawei flagships here in America but if we did I’d be willing to give them a try.

Thanks for voting in our poll and for leaving comments, we really appreciate it. What do you make of the topic and results? Leave a comment below!