I woke up this morning and picked up two phones first, my iPhone XS Max, and my most recent favorite Android phone of use, the Huawei P30 Pro. Waking up to the news that Google has revoked Huawei’s Android license comes as a shock, as it could finally spell the end of the company’s ambitions anywhere outside China. In the past years there is no other Android OEM that has made more advances in terms of hardware and growth. The P20 Pro, Mate 20X and now P30 Pro have represented some of the best phones I have tried and reviewed on the channel. Yet it is this level of excellence that I feel has not gone unnoticed, and with its ever growing influence and impact in the smartphone market, it seems that the US has finally found a way to limit that relentless march towards number one.

So what does this mean for Huawei phones and reviews on the channel? I will continue monitoring the situation and if Huawei really does become limited to AOSP and lose any access to Google Services, it will be difficult if not impossible to recommend Huawei phones to my viewers. It really pains me to say that because I really think Huawei is in another league of camera and hardware innovation. The P30 Pro’s Periscope Zoom Lens might be the most fun feature I’ve used on a smartphone camera in years, and Huawei’s night mode has finally surpassed Google’s own “Night Sight” as the best lowlight implementation. Companies like Xiaomi, Oppo and others have had to push further to just stay in the conversation. By removing Huawei from the picture this will create a major opportunity for those companies, but ultimately a loss for consumers who will miss out on using some of the most incredible innovations in mobile tech.

The P30 Pro, my Frankie Tech battery champ so far for 2019.