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New phones from the leading brands often get a lot of hype, particularly when those phones come from Apple or Samsung, but very few smartphones have received the same level of attention and controversy as the new Huawei smartphone. The Huawei Mate 30 Pro has become such a focal point of the tech community due to its seemingly almighty spec that has been tainted by the United States’ ongoing trade dispute with China.

It looks to be a phenomenal gadget, but due to sanctions imposed by US President Donald Trump, the Mate 30 Pro had to launch without anything from American companies, which includes apps from Google. Google’s stranglehold on the Android community means that a new phone launching without the likes of Gmail, YouTube, or the Android 10 operating system immediately loses much of its appeal. But how does the Huawei Mate 30 Pro compare to another wildly popular device that doesn’t use the Android OS, the iPhone 11 Pro, and what essential accessories are needed to make the most of the smartphones?

Huawei Mate 30 Pro setting the standard

Despite it being sans Google, there are many good reasons as to why the Huawei Mate 30 Pro has been such a hyped-up smartphone. Having been released in China and slowly releasing in Europe, it boasts a quad-camera of 40MP wide, 8MP telephoto, 40MP ultrawide, and a 3D TOF camera as well as a 32MP wide and 3D TOF front-facing camera which comes with HDR and panorama features. With fast battery charging, fast wireless charging, Face ID, fingerprint sensors, 8GB RAM, up to 256GB of storage, and 1176×2400 pixels resolution, the Mate 30 Pro is certainly a top-of-the-line product.

However, to make this smartphone whole for many users outside of Asia, it will need to have access to Google apps. The lack of the Android operating system isn’t too disheartening as the EMUI 10 is based on the Android 10 operating system and contains some new features yet to be released to the Android OS. There isn’t any particular accessory or plug-in that you can buy to remedy this situation, and most of the methods of getting Android as the phone’s primary operating system have been debunked, but it has been found that you can run the Android system through the smartphone with VMOs, which acts as a form of emulator, running an operating system within another operating system.

Naturally, this isn’t ideal, takes time to install and get in the rhythm of using, and doesn’t run the apps at optimal speeds, but it is certainly a way of accessing Google software while on the almighty Huawei Mate 30 Pro.

iPhone 11 Pro still gives access to Google apps

Apple’s line of iPhones is invariably seen as the premium model on the smartphone market at any given time. By way of comparison, the Huawei Mate 30 Pro is ahead of the iPhone 11 Pro in many key aspects. The Chinese device boasts 4GB more RAM, has one extra camera on the back – with two being 28MP better than any of the iPhone’s three 12MP cameras – as well as the option to expand available memory with a nano memory card. The iPhone 11 Pro comes with 512GB in storage in its most expensive model.

The iPhone 11 Pro does have a slight edge over the Huawei Mate 30 Pro with its 1125×2436 pixels resolution and by virtue of its operating system, iOS 13, giving users access to Google apps. Often seen as a superior OS to Android, iOS doesn’t come with Google apps and services as a standard, but users can install them via the lauded Apple App Store, allowing them to receive all of the perks of being an Android user while on an Apple device.

It’s well known that all of these perks, along with the iconic design of the iPhone, come at a hefty price, so most opt to protect their prized device with insurance due to the lofty costs incurred if the smartphone breaks. Non-Apple devices are often cheaper to repair, and some can still be fixed with readily available replacement parts found online, but iPhones tend to need professional work done to be repaired. This could be considered a tip in Huawei’s favor, but given the price of the Mate 30 Pro, the two would both most likely be considered in the bracket of needing protection.

Apple is still the go-to brand for non-Android premium smartphones, but the Huawei Mate 30 Pro is certainly making a case in many facets of the argument. The Apple device doesn’t tote the Android operating system, but many see iOS as being superior, and it can host Google apps and services, which have become all but a necessity in Western markets. That said, it’s hard to deny the appeal of the Mate 30 Pro’s superior tech in spite of the lack of access to Google apps. There are many alternatives, and Huawei has pledged $1 billion in its HMS Ecosystem Incentive Program to encourage developers to build and market apps on Huawei phones, which includes a far larger revenue share for the developers at 85 percent – 15 percent more than Apple or Google.

When it comes to deciding which of the Huawei Mate 30 Pro and the iPhone 11 Pro to get, availability is the first obstacle, but after that, it could come down to if you want to get the superior device or if you can’t live without those Google apps and services.  

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