Amid the ongoing tussle between the Chinese multinational technology company Huawei and the US government, the smartphone maker may have found a replacement of Google. The company has signed a deal with Dutch navigation and digital mapping company TomTom.
The signing of the deal means the smartphone maker can now use TomTom’s maps, and other software to develop applications for its future phone.
Speaking to Reuters, TomTom spokesman Remco Meerstra said, “the deal had been closed some time ago but had not been made public by the company.”
After the smartphone maker was blacklisted by President Donald Trump-led US administration, Huawei failed to use Google’s Android operating system along with its mobile applications such as Google Maps in new phones. The ban restricts Huawei from dealing with any American companies. It was blacklisted citing concerns regarding national security as it has ties with the Chinese government.
The US move even forced the Chinese smartphone maker to make its own operating system for the new mobile phones. The US administration also asked other nations to limit the use of Huawei’s technology.
Meanwhile, China has asked Canada to release detained Huawei Technologies Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Meng Wanzhou as early as possible.
“The resolve of the Chinese government to protect Chinese citizens’ proper legal rights is firm and unwavering,” Reuters quoted Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang, as saying. Meng is the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei. She was arrested at Vancouver International Airport on December 1, 2018, on the request of the United States. In the US, she is facing charges of bank fraud and also accused of misleading the HSBC bank about Huawei Technologies’ business in Iran.
