But installing them outside the Play store means bypassing Google’s security measures. But this is not without security risks.ĪPK is the file format used by the Android operating system. You can send them to yourself using apps such as Shareit, too.īecause new Huawei phones run the open-source version of Android, consumers can get these apps by installing their APK (Android Package). Instead, installing them requires using a browser to download/sideload them (or finding them in the official Huawei search engine Petal Search). This means apps such as Chrome, Google Docs and YouTube, as well as social media apps such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, are not immediately available to consumers like they are on most other smartphones. The sanctions haven’t stopped Huawei from selling its products in markets such as Europe, Africa and the Middle East, but the phones are somewhat crippled without access to Google Mobile Services. The sanctions imposed by the Donald Trump administration on Huawei have continued under Joe Biden. That means no Play store, no Google Maps, no Google search. There’s just one (rather big) catch: like many other modern Huawei smartphones, it doesn’t have access to Google Mobile Services. The phone, which retails for R6 299, has a midrange Qualcomm SM6115 Snapdragon 662 system on chip, which plays games with no problem and offers excellent power consumption. This means no Play store, no Google Maps, no Google search. It comes with Android 10 and EMUI 11 (Huawei’s skin on top of Android), has a good selection of software and has sleek design around its 6.7-inch screen. I’ve been using the nova 8i for almost a month now and it’s certainly one of the best midrange smartphones in the market.

On paper, it’s a great device: it has an excellent camera system, ample storage (128GB, paired with 6GB or 8GB of RAM) and a fast-charging battery that lasts all day. The 8i is the pared-back version of the nova 8 and is marketed as a phone that’s perfect for content creators. Last September, Huawei launched the nova 8i in South Africa.

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