You told us: You'd buy an HONOR phone now that Google support is seemingly back

HUAWEI was forced to sell off sub-brand HONOR last year due to the ongoing US sanctions, and the newly independent company has subsequently signed agreements with a host of US partners. This includes Qualcomm, and HONOR confirmed that the upcoming HONOR 50 series will be launching with the new Snapdragon 778G processor (among other notable chipset announcements).

What about Google support though? Well, HONOR Germany noted in a since-deleted tweet that the HONOR 50 range would be coming with Google Mobile Services (GMS). So that got us thinking whether Android Authority readers would buy an HONOR phone now that Google services seem to be back.

Would you buy an HONOR phone now that Google support is coming back?

Results

We posted the poll on May 24 and it received just over 3,100 votes. It turns out that two-thirds of polled Android Authority readers would buy an HONOR phone in light of the apparent Google support. It’s easy to understand the enthusiasm too, as it would be the first time HONOR phones received Google support since 2019. These new HONOR devices are also going to be equipped with Snapdragon silicon and the Magic UI skin, with the latter being closely related to HUAWEI’s EMUI skin. 

Meanwhile, 17% of polled readers said they wouldn’t be buying an HONOR phone now that Google is seemingly on board. The comments point to a dislike of HUAWEI and HONOR’s previous software, the lack of an unlockable bootloader on previous devices, and skepticism of Chinese brands. 

Roughly 16% of respondents were on the wall about buying an HONOR phone with Google support, voting “maybe” as a result. This is understandable, as we don’t have any details regarding these new phones yet, aside from the chipsets and presence of the Magic UI skin. Furthermore, HONOR claimed that its new HONOR Magic phones would have great image quality. But other details like the rest of the spec sheet, availability, and pricing are obviously not known just yet.

Comments

• Skifarterking: EMUI and locked bootloader policy is a deal breaker for me, but mostly EMUI.
• Evie: No because the last HONOR I had, you couldn’t change the Launcher. That sucked. Definitely a deal breaker for me.
• SanBlarnoi: If the bootloader can be unlocked (and there is a custom rom community): yes (if they offer something i like) otherwise: no way 
• Beardednomad: If the phones are good, sure why not.
• Jay Deezy: I definitely would. At the time, the HONOR 8 was a great value and a perfect size for me. Fantastic camera and reliable battery life. I hope they’re still making them like that!
• Ralph Knight Mogridge: Would prefer HONOR mobile with Harmony OS

Thanks for voting in our poll and for leaving comments. What would you like to see from HONOR devices in 2021? Let us know below.