Huawei to launch next flagship phone in Paris in March 2020
It was only a few weeks ago that Huawei started selling its Google-less Mate 30 Pro in Europe. But the Chinese smartphone giant is already planning a launch event in the region for its next flagship phone.
Huawei mobile chief Richard Yu told French media in Shenzhen that the Huawei P40 and P40 Pro handsets will be unveiled in Paris at the end of March 2020, according to Frandroid. The models will come with Android 10 overlaid with EMUI, Huawei’s custom interface, as with previous models.
We reached out to Huawei but a representative declined to comment further.
Android 10 is open source and therefore not subject to a US ban. Since Huawei was blacklisted by the US earlier this year, however, its new phones have been denied access to the Google Play app store and other Google apps like YouTube and Google Maps. As a result, Huawei phones have become less appealing abroad.
Huawei has been working on its own Android substitute called HarmonyOS, which will work with its Ark Compiler tool that’s designed to quickly port Android apps to the new OS. The company recently said it will make the HarmonyOS source code available to developers next August.
After Twitter shut down what it calls a Beijing-backed disinformation operation by banning more than 170,000 accounts, China has responded with a piece of curious advice.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told reporters during a briefing on Friday that Twitter should shut down accounts that smear China if it wants to fight disinformation, Reuters reported. Hua said that many platforms had falsehoods about China and that there was a need for Chinese voices with objective views. But China itself is blocking Chinese voices from reaching Twitter: The platform is blocked inside the country.
On Thursday, Twitter removed state-linked accounts from China, Russia and Turkey for violating their platform manipulation policies. The company said the accounts spread “narratives favorable to the Communist Party of China” and pushed “deceptive narratives about the political dynamics in Hong Kong” where tensions have once again flared up over the new National Security Law.
This is not the first time Twitter has moved against Chinese state-backed operations on its platform. Last year in August, the platform removed over 900 accounts, which were part of a larger 200,000-strong army involved in a “coordinated state-backed operation” to allegedly sow political discord in Hong Kong.
The arcades aren't as big of a draw as they used to be. But if you miss the retro feel of joysticks and big round buttons, the Switch Fighter might help.
The accessory, which transforms a regular Nintendo Switch into a mini arcade cabinet, is seeking funding on Indiegogo. For US$99, the Hong Kong-based campaign promises to ship backers the Bluetooth-connected gadget, allowing them to “properly play classics like Street Fighter or King of Fighters.” It also serves as a dock for charging and TV output, according to the project page.
There’s a lot of caveats here: The project has a flexible goal, which means it’ll collect all contributions regardless of whether their funding target is reached. Also, Nintendo has previously warned users not to buy a third-party dock for their Switch.