The Honor 20 Pro is the first smartphone from the Chinese technology giant Huawei’s subsidiary firm to receive the Google Play Store certification after the US Government’s trade ban came into force. For a while up until the official announcement, it was believed that the 20 Pro was the first casualty of the US Department of Commerce’s ban on American companies staying in business with the Chinese conglomerate.
The smartphone was announced alongside the Honor 20 just a couple of days after the ban was made public, raising questions about whether the device would get access to the coveted Android OS and Play Store certification. While the Honor 20 had gone through Google’s certification process at the time, the 20 Pro was yet to be evaluated.
Thankfully for Honor though, it looks like the three-month reprieve has given them enough time to launch the 20 Pro with Google’s support. This implies that a launch in the Western market is imminent.
The million-dollar question at the moment is “Will the people buy a premium Android smartphone that is scheduled to stop receiving support from Google within the next 90-days?” We guess only time will answer this one!
In the meantime, Huawei seems to be cooking up a new strategy to keep selling smartphones in the absence of Google, as a listing on Google’s database for certified Android devices reads “Honor 20 Pro/Nova 5T Pro and Honor 20/Nova 5T”. Both phones are listed the same YAL-L41 model number. Do not be surprised if the Honor 20 Pro get spotted in certain markets selling with Huawei Nova 5T moniker.
The Honor 20 Pro is powered by the Kirin 980 7mm processor along with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of built-in storage. The device features a 6.26-inch FHD+ display with a 1080 x 2340 pixels resolution and a punch-hole front camera sensor. The smartphone has a quad camera setup at the rear.
The primary 48-megapixel Sony IMX586 sensor with an aperture value of f/1.4 and quad axis Optical Image Stabilization, is paired with a 16-megapixel 117-degree ultra-wide sensor, an 8-megapixel telephoto camera with an aperture value of f/2.4 and quad axis OIS, along with a 2-megapixel macro lens with an aperture value of f/2.4. It includes 4,000mAh battery with 22.5W fast charging.
The Honor 20 Pro is priced at 599 euros (~$668) for the base variant with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of built-in storage in Europe. In India, the same model is selling for Rs. 39,999 (~$575).
What are your views on the latest debacle between Huawei and the US Government? Would you buy a premium device from either Huawei or Honor at the moment? Let us know via the comments section below.
