The so-called Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) are the Chinese manufacturer’s alternative to replace Google Play Services on its mobile phones with the EMUI operating system, based on Android. Huawei is already approaching three years apart from Google, a time when HMS have grown and matured.
Within the framework of the MWC 2022 fair in Barcelona, we have been able to speak with Jaime Gonzalo, Vice President of Consumer Mobiles Services in Europe. HMS are a key part of the manufacturer’s mobile phones, but they will also reach the company’s computers in the future.
Without going any further, we have seen the Huawei MateBook X Pro (2022), a laptop where the Mobile App Engine platform is integrated to bring the HMS experience to the PC. Specifically, the applications of the AppGallery store will be able to run on the Windows 11 desktop , expanding the possibilities.
Huawei Mobile Services allows users to replace Google Play Services so that their phones can be used normally. It includes apps like its own AppGallery app store, Petal Maps navigation and mapping service, or Mobile Cloud file and photo cloud storage.
They also run Android apps that previously required Google services, thanks to the HMS Core layer. But the company’s idea is not to copy its former partner, and now rival, but to create its own ecosystem.
Gonzalo throws us a simile: they know that there are already “elephants” in the smartphone market, but Huawei Mobile Services does not want to be just another “elephant”, but another animal with its peculiarities, so that consumers have more options to choose from.
Huawei’s ecosystem has been designed to respond to all the needs of any mobile user in a simple, secure way, and with added value compared to other traditional alternatives.
For example, Petal Search’s search engine is very different from Google’s traditional minimalist design. We have a search box, of course, while the rest of the screen displays suggestions on various topics: travel, shopping, news, weather, and other useful information.
Another use of Petal Search is to locate apps to install them easily and safely . Just typing “WhatsApp” will take us to the official website of its developers, when there is no official website it will search trusted repositories, always manually analyzing the app for malware before installation, as a security measure for its users.
Since not all apps are in AppGallery yet, the option to install apps with Petal Search on Huawei is really useful and convenient. AppGallery in turn notifies the user about available updates for these apps. That yes, AppGallery does not stop growing and signing alliances in parallel, some as important as the apps of the large Spanish banks.
Without forgetting that Huawei Mobile Services is adapted to the different countries where it operates . In Spain there is an editorial team of several dozen people who select the most appropriate content for users, so that it is easy to find interesting proposals.
One of the HMS keys is a high respect for user privacy , together with high security that prevents data from ending up in the wrong hands. Unlike Google, Facebook or Instagram, Huawei’s main source of income is not advertising, so personal information is used responsibly.
In HMS applications, such as Petal Maps or Petal Search, we have an easily activated incognito mode so that activity is not recorded. The default settings protect privacy, unlike Huawei’s competitors, and if we want to see personalized ads we will voluntarily enable them from the settings.
The main objective of Mobile Services is not to generate money directly, but to support the ecosystem of devices and guarantee a satisfactory experience for its users. Some apps offer payment elements or subscriptions, such as Mobile Cloud, Music, Video or Books, to provide quality content to the user through licenses agreed with national and international distributors, but the focus is not on maximizing revenue in this way.
Since Huawei seeks to offer a premium experience, it is necessary to give the user first-class content , which logically has a cost from the providers. In many cases, it is an important complement to the hardware, without going any further, the Huawei Books make it much easier to use the Huawei MatePad Paper.
The HMS allow a very high integration between the manufacturer’s devices . For example, it is possible to send a song that we listen to on the mobile to a Huawei Sound speaker just by bringing them closer, or moving a MeeTime video call between mobile, tablet and smart TV.
In addition, Huawei Mobile Services seek to be as open as possible. Not only for developers to bring their apps to the AppGallery store, but also in terms of hardware: the AI Life app, to manage devices and the smart home, integrates devices from other brands.
Huawei’s ecosystem is open to all Android mobiles. This means that Huawei does not limit its use only to its own terminals. All users of phones with Google services can also benefit from the exclusive advantages of the HMS ecosystem, downloading AppGallery free of charge and safely from its official website.
It is clear that HMS must continue to evolve and grow. For example, the Celia voice assistant still has quite limited functions in Spanish, although Huawei has shown a lot of commitment to its platform.
Heading into 2022, the state of Huawei Mobile Services is much more than healthy , and the company appears to have found its way without Google. A path that will not be easy, of course, but that provides users with an interesting option with different ideas from other brands.
