Google caused shockwaves today by blocking Android updates for Huawei, the world's second-largest smartphone manufacturer. Other tech giants are quickly following suit, including Intel and Qualcomm, and now all eyes are on Microsoft.
While Huawei is not as popular on PC, it still has millions of laptops running Microsoft's Windows 10 platform. Owners of Huawei laptops must now be wondering if Microsoft will block Windows 10 updates on their machines.
The US government has gone to war on the Chinese company and has made it clear companies are expected to block Huawei or pay a fee to work with the brand. It is unclear if Microsoft will decide to follow Google, but it seems likely the company may block Windows updates to Huawei laptops.
Certainly, Google has more to lose considering how many devices the Chinese giant has on Android. Of course, the real loser here will be Huawei, which may now be forced to launch its own operating system.
TechRadar contacted Microsoft but the company is not interested in any official response yet. Indeed, Microsoft's response simply said, “we have nothing to share”.
Perhaps the most interesting thing here is Microsoft did not deny it would block Huawei Windows 10 updates. If a block is issued, it would be interesting to know how the company deals with having unprotected Windows PCs in the wild.
Other Blocks
Aside from Google's block, Intel and Qualcomm have said they will not provide their processors for Huawei devices anymore. For the most part, the Chinese company will be less affected by this development. Huawei uses its own Kirin chipsets in most products.
