Here’s some bad news for Huawei users in the US. The US Commerce Department has stopped giving Huawei a US license, which means the company might stop supporting its phones sold in the country.

Bad News for Huawei

The Commerce Department had given Huawei an extra 90 days before its license expired. Within those 90 days, the smartphone maker could still support its products in the US. However, the license has expired on August 13. After that day, it’s now illegal for US companies to deal with Chinese companies. 

Now, it’s illegal for Google, among others, to send updates to Huawei. Users who own the Huawei P30 cannot update to Android 11. You also can’t update if you own a Huawei phone “with full Google services.”

Huawei’s temporary general license has expired, possibly jeopardizing Google apps on older models https://t.co/6baF4eHq6b

— XDA (@xdadevelopers) August 14, 2020

No More Updates for Huawei

Engadget said that Google needed the license to send Huawei updates through legal means. For you to update, you need the P40 Pro or another phone without Google services. Huawei phones sold in China can also update. The Chinese company uses open-source Android to send out its updates.

The license had allowed rural phone carriers to phase out Chinese companies. Before, the US government had warned that Chinese companies threatened national security. 

Now, Huawei users will be unable to protect their phones. Without updates, their phones will become slow and unusable. Users concerned with updated phones may need to buy another one. 

Dark Times for Huawei

After the US government blacklisted Huawei, it’s now facing a shortage of smartphone chips. US vendors cannot sell Huawei the tech needed to make its high-end Kirin chips. Without new chips and new updates, Huawei is now looking at an even darker future.

The post Huawei’s US License Expires, Shutting Out Updates first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Irene Hawkins

Chinese smartphone maker Huawei is feeling the pinch of US sanctions. After getting blacklisted in 2019, the Chinese company has faced difficulty in sourcing parts from US vendors. Because of these sanctions, the company now says it could run out of smartphone chips by September.

The US vs. Huawei 

The Associated Press reported the effects of US sanctions on Huawei’s smartphone production. As they runs out of processor chips for its smartphones, the shortage could force the company to stop producing its advanced chips. 

In its escalating tech feud with China, the US has targeted Chinese companies as national security risks. US lawmakers have warned that these companies store user data and send them to the Chinese government for spying.

Huawei says it has about a month before it runs out of smartphone chips. https://t.co/CIRBHnvRt9 pic.twitter.com/9NQynCZy8U

— Gizmodo (@Gizmodo) August 9, 2020

Feeling the Pain

Gizmodo reports that Huawei might have to stop production of its “Huawei Kirin high-end chips” by September 15. At the China Info 100 conference, Richard Yu said ceasing production could be “a very big loss for us.” Yu is the president of Huawei’s consumer unit.

Huawei designs the Kirin chip, but its production relies on US manufacturing. Without US tech, the company will not be able to produce smartphones. Without its smartphones, Yu says company sales would fall below its 2019 mark of 240 million devices sold worldwide. 

Could They Survive the Sanctions?

Despite the sanctions and COVID-19, Huawei still posted revenues of $64.8 billion in the first six months of 2020. The company has also launched 15 phones in 2020, according to Forbes. 

However, Huawei could face more sanctions later in the year.

The post Huawei Could Run Out of Smartphone Chips by September first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Irene Hawkins