Huawei Mate 30 series launches on Sept. 19

The iPhone 11 isn't the only phone launching this month -- Huawei revealed over the weekend that it'll launch the Mate 30 series in Munich, Germany on Sept. 19. The controversial Chinese phone maker tweeted a short video teaser that emphasized the Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro's cameras. It's not a surprising approach, given the excellent cameras of 2018's Mate 20 and this year's P30.

However, the event's "Rethink Possibilities" tag reminds us that the Mate 30 may not be able to use elements of Google's Android operating system. The temporary reprieve on Huawei's US ban to award licenses doesn't apply to new Huawei products, a Google spokesperson reportedly said last week.

The search giant later clarified that Huawei could use Android because it's an open-source OS. Despite this, it's possible that it won't ship with licensed Google apps.

Watch this: Huawei’s homegrown OS faces a steep uphill climb

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The US Commerce Department blacklisted Huawei in May following an executive order from President Donald Trump that effectively banned it from the country's communications networks. It required American companies to get a license to do business with Huawei, which is the subject of national security concerns due to its links to the Chinese government.

On Aug. 19, the Commerce Department extended a temporary general license that allows American companies to do business with Huawei for another 90 days. Also in August, Huawei unveiled its own mobile operating system -- HarmonyOS -- which could be applied to its phones if it's locked out of Android.

Huawei didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

First published at 2:49 a.m. PT.
Updated at 3:20 a.m. PT: Adds more detail.

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