Mobile phone owners won’t abandon Chinese brand just yet

Not abandoning the Huawei phone just yet. That was the response from owners in Malaysia, despite news that United States tech giant Google would suspend its business with the Chinese top mobile maker, threatening future access to Gmail, YouTube and Chrome.

Airline pilot Adam Abd Ghaffar, who owns a Huawei P20 Pro, said he bought the phone for its good specifications, camera quality and lasting battery life.

“So far, I am enjoying my phone and do not regret my decision.

“I feel that Huawei will triumph in this ‘trade war’ sooner or later, as they had already anticipated this will happen many years ago, and prepared for it,” he told the

New Straits Times yesterday.

Adam said the restriction from Google, whose Android operating system powers most of the world’s smartphones, would not deter him from purchasing another China-brand phone.

“My phone preferences are based on specifications, and for the time being, China-based companies make better phones for real life usage.

“However, if the operating system of Huawei or any other China brand no longer meets my requirements, I will switch to other brands, which support Google.”

Another Huawei user Vivienne Ooi said the Google restriction was a “residual effect of the US-China trade war”, resulting in end users becoming victims.

The mother of two, who is now using her second Huawei device, said she bought the phone for its attractive design and powerful camera functions.

“I don’t think I will change my phone any time soon because it is not directly affected by the trade sanctions. But I would probably not buy another Huawei phone in the future if this continues,” she added.

Meanwhile, Mohammed Syahmi Mohammed Ridzwan was shocked to learn about the news.

The aircraft maintenance technician, who bought his Huawei P30 phone two months ago, had switched from using an iPhone because he needed the Google ecosystem on an Android device.

“Google apps like Google Drive, YouTube and Gmail work seamlessly on an Android device.

“Although I’m worried that I would not be getting updates or support from Google, I will still continue using my phone and will probably think of changing it after a few more years,” he said.