HONOR today introduced the HONOR 50 series of smartphones in China today which runs Android 11 with Magic UI 4.2 on top with HONOR Mobile Services, but it plans to launch the phone globally with Google Mobile Services. The HONOR 50 and HONOR 50 Pro are powered by Snapdragon 778G SoC, thanks to a strategic partnership between Qualcomm and HONOR after HUAWEI sold the HONOR smartphone brand last year.
HONOR today confirmed that Google apps and Google Play Store will return starting with the HONOR 50 series when they launch globally, and going forward all the phones that we will launch in global markets will have GMS.
In a statement, the company said:
HONOR devices will undergo Google’s Play Protect certified security review and compatibility testing process to ensure they are ready to run apps from Google and the Google Play Store.
HONOR devices will therefore have the option to have Google Mobile Services (“GMS”) preinstalled on compatible devices, in accordance with Google’s licensing and governance models. Consumers will be able to experience HONOR smartphones and tablets equipped with GMS.
The HONOR 50 series are up for pre-order in China starting today. The company also confirmed the global roll-out of the phone in UK, France, Mexico, Malaysia, Russia, and Saudi Arabia later in the year. No details if we can expect the phones in India in the future.