With the US ban on Chinese tech giant Huawei still in force, the smartphone maker has had to come up with novel ways of replacing any technology – either hardware or software – that it previously sourced from US companies. The most notable impact of the ban is Huawei’s inability to use anything made by Google on its phones. The company is unable to use Google Mobile Services on its latest smartphones. That means no Google Play Store, Gmail app, or Google Maps.
But now the Chinese company appears to have found a replacement for at least one of the search giant’s key services, confirming that it’s secured a Google Maps alternative by entering a partnership that will see navigation specialists TomTom provide maps, live traffic information and software for Huawei smartphones.
As TomTom is based in the Netherlands, Huawei is able to skirt the US government’s trade ban, which prevents the Chinese phone maker from dealing with American companies.
TomTom spokesman Remco Meerstra said the deal with Huawei had been finalized some time ago, though the company had refrained from making the news public for unspecified reasons.
