Microsoft has removed Huawei laptops from its online store in the US right as it looks set to comply with the US President Trump’s order cracking down on the Chinese firm. This comes with the ongoing US trade war with China, with Huawei being added to the ‘Entity List’ which prohibits US companies from doing business with the Chinese telecom and electronics major.
According to a report on The Verge, Microsoft has not commented on the issue of Huawei laptops being removed from the online store. If one goes by the US government order, Microsoft would have to cancel the Windows license for Huawei as well. Google has effectively cancelled Android license for Huawei smartphones, though the company insists that Play Store and Play Protect Services will continue to work on the existing phones.
Huawei’s premium laptop MateBook X Pro, which was pitched against Apple’s MacBook Pro, Microsoft Surface lineup will be impacted by this decision from Microsoft. The Mate X Pro is no longer listed on the company’s online store either, adds the report.
Microsoft is not the only American company which is cancelling business deals, transactions with Huawei. It was reported that UK-based ARM Holdings, which licensing its ARM chipset architecture technology to most companies in the world, was also suspending business with Huawei. According to a BBC report, ARM Holdings issued a memo to its staff saying that it would be suspending business with Huawei given some of its technology originated in the US and it was impacted by the US government’s new ban.
Read more: Google is suspending Huawei’s Android license: What does it mean for Huawei smartphone users?
For Huawei, the future of its consumer tech products looks shaky in light of this ban. Huawei’s popular flagships like the P series and the Mate series have gotten rave reviews thanks to the camera, but software has not been the company’s strongest point. With Android possibly gone from future Huawei and Honor products, and Windows from its laptops, it remains to be seen how the company will carry out its global strategy.
Huawei has itself been talking about its plans for its own operating system as well, and according to reports it could be available by fall, though another report said that the software is far from ready.
