Huawei-Google smart speaker project shut down by US restrictions
Huawei was working with Google to take on Apple's HomePod and Amazon's Echo smart speaker range with a jointly-produced device, a report claims, but the close collaboration came to an abrupt end in May, just before restrictions were placed on Huawei by President Donald Trump and the U.S. government.
The Chinese electronics firm was working with the search giant on the project, which would have seen Huawei manufacture a smart speaker that was powered by the Google Assistant, it is claimed. The speaker would have been intended for markets outside of China, with the United States being a major target for the product.
"We worked on this project with Google for a year and made a lot of progress. Then everything stopped," an unnamed Huawei employee advised to The Information. The stoppage was likely due to the sudden restrictions laid onto Huawei by the Trump administration, which stopped US companies from using Huawei equipment as well as limiting what Huawei could acquire from US-based firms.
It is understood Huawei's plans were to reveal the new speaker during September's IFA trade show in September, but it wouldn't be the first from the company. In 2018, Huawei launched the AI Cube, a two-in-one smart speaker with Alexa built in, as well as 4G routing capabilities.
The restrictions were put in place under the guise of Huawei being a national security risk. Reports in May around the time of the action suggested Huawei installed a backdoor in the network of an unnamed telecommunications firm, with its likely links to the Chinese government potentially allowing it and other undiscovered backdoors that may exist to be used for spying.
Despite the suspicions of security agencies, Huawei has repeatedly denied it has done anything wrong. The company has even cited Apple as its privacy role model, in relation to how it protects user data.
Part of the impact of the restrictions was Google's termination of Huawei's Android license, preventing its smartphones from accessing the Google Play Store and accessing mainstream Google apps like Gmail, YouTube, and Chrome. While Huawei could use the Android Open Source Project, there has also been the suggestion it could come up with its own operating system and accompanying ecosystem.
Before the restrictions were introduced, Google and Huawei were also discussing working together in other areas, including adding Android Auto compatibility to the firm's smartphones. Since the change in the relationship, Huawei has reportedly only interacted with Google via meetings and calls accompanied by lawyers, present to ensure compliance with the sanctions.
While there have been motions to relax some of the restrictions on Huawei, as well as a current temporary reprieve, it may not necessarily allow Google and Huawei to work together the same way as before. Huawei has worked to find alternate ways to produce its products that do not rely on suppliers based in the United States, such as producing its own components and other important technologies, minimizing its exposure to further US governmental interference.
The Chinese electronics firm was working with the search giant on the project, which would have seen Huawei manufacture a smart speaker that was powered by the Google Assistant, it is claimed. The speaker would have been intended for markets outside of China, with the United States being a major target for the product.
"We worked on this project with Google for a year and made a lot of progress. Then everything stopped," an unnamed Huawei employee advised to The Information. The stoppage was likely due to the sudden restrictions laid onto Huawei by the Trump administration, which stopped US companies from using Huawei equipment as well as limiting what Huawei could acquire from US-based firms.
It is understood Huawei's plans were to reveal the new speaker during September's IFA trade show in September, but it wouldn't be the first from the company. In 2018, Huawei launched the AI Cube, a two-in-one smart speaker with Alexa built in, as well as 4G routing capabilities.
The restrictions were put in place under the guise of Huawei being a national security risk. Reports in May around the time of the action suggested Huawei installed a backdoor in the network of an unnamed telecommunications firm, with its likely links to the Chinese government potentially allowing it and other undiscovered backdoors that may exist to be used for spying.
Despite the suspicions of security agencies, Huawei has repeatedly denied it has done anything wrong. The company has even cited Apple as its privacy role model, in relation to how it protects user data.
Part of the impact of the restrictions was Google's termination of Huawei's Android license, preventing its smartphones from accessing the Google Play Store and accessing mainstream Google apps like Gmail, YouTube, and Chrome. While Huawei could use the Android Open Source Project, there has also been the suggestion it could come up with its own operating system and accompanying ecosystem.
Before the restrictions were introduced, Google and Huawei were also discussing working together in other areas, including adding Android Auto compatibility to the firm's smartphones. Since the change in the relationship, Huawei has reportedly only interacted with Google via meetings and calls accompanied by lawyers, present to ensure compliance with the sanctions.
While there have been motions to relax some of the restrictions on Huawei, as well as a current temporary reprieve, it may not necessarily allow Google and Huawei to work together the same way as before. Huawei has worked to find alternate ways to produce its products that do not rely on suppliers based in the United States, such as producing its own components and other important technologies, minimizing its exposure to further US governmental interference.
Comments
Wow, what could go wrong?
Scary sh**.
In less than two weeks Honor will fully unveil a far more ambitious project. A 'TV/Smartscreen' with a camera onboard (pop-up for those who don't want one) that will include a brand new AI chipset and possibly not run Android. It will also have all the directional mics and much of the technology of the Smartspeaker, too. We might also see two new SoCs at the end of August from Huawei.
The risk of Huawei pulling away from U.S suppliers has seemingly become reality with many U.S suppliers likely to see revenue drops to the tune of billions.
Of course, if you feel scared it's likely based on heresay. I think the Snowden leaks should have made you feel far more scared, independently of the companies you buy from.
(I am not worried about my data)
This is Ian. I will be helpful. I will be collecting every little thing about you... to be helpful. Is that the new Top Gun movie I hear playing in the background? Turning on camera. Movie confirmed. I recommend wearing a condom when doing that... A copy of Kama Sutra has been sent to your inbox. The soundtrack for Top Gun will be displayed when you turn on your Android phone (at a discount). I will now make recommendations based on your viewing interests...
IAN. Shut the @#$& up. I’m kind of busy here!
I like how you completely ignore the Orwellian nightmare and praise these knockoffs as if they were innovative.
You're like the guys who bashed Apple iPhone and thought touchscreen gestures would never work until a knockoff competitor came along.
If there is such a thing it would be applicable to just about anything with similar features and the NSA would be right up there with everybody else in trying to get access to it.
He's textbook iKnockoff Knight. His responses are nothing new.
"A touch screen triangle? I'm flabbergasted by the audaciousness!"
"How else is a smartphone supposed to look? lol"
Heard them all before. One of these guys asked "how else is a wireless earbud supposed to look"?
It's funny how Apple develops the obvious and we take it for granted.
What makes AirPods different is on the inside not the outside!
You can go back 20 (?) Years and see handsfree options that have the batteries in the shaft and mics at the end!
But, this isn't about AirPods, FreeBuds, FlyPods etc. It's about a new version of an existing Huawei product.
The product will very probably ship at some point but Google's presence could be doubtful.
Now, as a result of the U.S presidency flaying around desperately trying to slow Huawei down by virtually any means, we are now seeing rumours floating up to the surface that paint a very bleak picture for Huawei's U.S component suppliers. I'm hearing about big U.S companies losing billions in orders right now from Huawei as they accelerate their in-house designs and move to Japanese and other non-U.S suppliers.
It is truly sad that U.S companies could lose revenues because of purely political undercurrents.
Google stands to lose a lot too as the situation dramatically highlights its dominance in the handset space (regulatory bodies are watching closely) and any move from such a gigantic player like Huawei to a non-Google OS would seriously dampen its revenue streams.
When end you install any smart devices you require to register it and pass in personal info including your location and password of your Wi-Fi. They all expose to China.
Then every word you said could have been sent to the servers in China!
Errrnnt. US and western nations actually care about IP theft and IP law enforcement, unlike China’s historic stance on it. That’s why there’s so much more of this sort of lawlessness in China. US companies actually fear enforcement.