The No. 2 smartphone maker in the World right now Huawei has been in the news for quite some time now, for the wrong reasons though. The Chinese behemoth has been declared persona non grata by the US following allegations and fears that its equipment could be used to spy on other countries and companies. The Trump administration earlier in May banned all US companies including Google, Facebook, Microsft, Qualcomm and the rest from having business dealings with the Chinese company.
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While Google and a few other US tech companies have since severed their dealings with Huawei, Facebook has just complied with the US order as it has reportedly fashioned out a clever way to deal with the ban. Facebook going forward won’t allow Huawei to pre-install its apps on smartphones, Reuters is reporting. That, in essence, means you won’t see any of Facebook-owned apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook’s main app itself pre-installed on any new Huawei phone out if the box but the affected apps will continue to receive updates through the Play store.
The move by Facebook dampens the sales outlook for Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, and could further mean a big blow to the companies dream of becoming the Number one phone maker by 2020. Unlike the withdrawal of Google’s services, however, the move by Facebook might not be as devastating on Huawei.