Introduction
The HUAWEI P40 series was launched in Malaysia earlier this month and it is now available for purchase — P40 (RM2,799) and P40 Pro (RM3,899). It has been a few months since the HUAWEI-US ban happened and things began to settle down. Right now, all latest HUAWEI products will not have Google Mobile Services (GMS), replaced with HUAWEI Mobile Services (HMS), instead.
So, instead of finding different ways to install GMS, why not accept the fact and just stick with what you have? Yup, that was my initial thought when I first received the P40 Pro for review. In this editorial, I will be breaking down into three parts:
- The Changes
- About HUAWEI AppGallery
- How Is It Like To Use HUAWEI AppGallery
The Changes
Obviously, the main difference is you don’t get Google apps and services such as Google Maps, Google Drive, YouTube, Google Photos, Google Play Store, Google Chrome, and more. Missing Google apps and services is just a thing, but there’s more. Without GMS, HUAWEI phones not only miss out on these essential Google products but also a number of popular apps such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Spotify, etc. Additionally, there are also many apps depend on the infrastructure provided by Google through GMS. It’s weird that I can have Google Drive and YouTube apps on my iPhone, but not on a HUAWEI Android phone, technically EMUI is still based on Android.
About HUAWEI AppGallery
The only solution for the company is to create its own platform — HUAWEI Mobile Services (HMS), which isn’t really a big problem since the company had been doing this for a few years in China. In case you didn’t know, HUAWEI phones in China can’t really access to Google products, but it is still possible to install Google Play Store back then.
So, HUAWEI AppGallery replaces Google Play Store, which lets you download the apps you needed. According to Android Central, HUAWEI claims that its AppGallery is the third-largest app store in the world, right after Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
HUAWEI AppGallery offers 360° protection, which provides protection for downloads and use. Its data privacy is also certified by international standards. It also comes with parental control, which lets you entertain and educate your kids in a safe environment.
According to HUAWEI Malaysia, AppGallery now contains more than 90% of the most frequently used apps by Malaysians, such as Facebook, WhatsApp, WeChat, Touch ‘n Go eWallet, TikTok, Lazada, Shopee, and more.
How Is It Like To Use HUAWEI AppGallery
Let me just straight to the point, the HUAWEI AppGallery isn’t as straightforward and convenient to use as Google Play Store. Mainly it’s because not all apps on Play Store are available to download, but I would say HUAWEI actually did a great job since it only took a few months for them to have this solution. No worries, I’m sure there will be more apps arriving AppGallery in the future.
At the moment, I categorized the app status in AppGallery into four categories:
- Available
- Quick Apps
- Redirects
- Not Available
Available
As I mentioned earlier, AppGallery now contains more than 90% of the most frequently used apps by Malaysians, you can download apps like WeChat, Touch ‘n Go eWallet, TikTok, Lazada, and Shopee directly from AppGallery and will still get updates in the future.
Quick Apps
As for Quick Apps, AppGallery actually comes with a bunch of Quick Apps for you to use without downloading. For example, you can search Maybank2u in AppGallery and just click the open button then you are using the Quick App. You can also add it to the home screen so that next time you just access on your home screen. Right now the only benefit I see on Quick Apps is saving phone memory space, as you don’t need to download a full app, though it actually works like adding a website to your home screen when using the browser.
Redirects
Facebook and WhatsApp aren’t that straightforward, you can’t download it directly from AppGallery. When you search the apps, it’ll show you the download link from the official site, once you click the link it’ll redirect to the official site and you’ll need to download the APK file and install yourself. How about getting updates? AppGallery will actually remind you to head over to the official site to download the latest APK file.
Not Available
This is the part where AppGallery is lacking behind, most apps and games I use and play aren’t available, such as Instagram, Spotify, PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty: Mobile, etc. In that case, you can only download the APK file, either from the official site or third-party app store, I myself use Aurora Store, so far the stable one.
Final Words
At the moment, I believe the main problem that HMS encounters is the availability of apps, that will be fixed in the future for sure. As for the Google apps such as Drive and YouTube, the current solution is to access it via the browser. To overcome this problem, HUAWEI even requested Google to submit its apps to AppGallery, something like Google submitting its apps to Apple’s App Store. Whether that will be fixed, only time will tell. AppGallery still not the best app store right now, but we’ll see what HUAWEI can do. If you find yourself can’t live without Google apps and services, it’s better for you to switch to another Android phone.