bodyType

customContents

entityId

printArticlePageQuery

filter

article

body

urlAlias

articleSectionsContent

articleSeoArticle

articleSourceHeaderArticle

contentSchemaRenderContent

contentSubHeadlineContent

contentHeadlineContent

mainImagePrintArticleArticle

authorBlockPrintArticleArticle

contentSponsorTagContent

articlePianoPaywallContent

scmpYoutubeContent

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

query printArticlePageQuery(
  $entityId: String!
  $customContents: [CustomContentInput]
  $bodyType: BodyFormatTypeEnum
) {
  article(filter: {entityId: $entityId}) {
    entityId
    body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
      json
    }
    urlAlias
    ...articleSectionsContent
    ...articleSeoArticle_3o8td4
    ...articleSourceHeaderArticle
    ...contentSchemaRenderContent
    ...contentSubHeadlineContent
    ...contentHeadlineContent
    ...mainImagePrintArticleArticle
    ...authorBlockPrintArticleArticle
    ...contentSponsorTagContent
    ...articlePianoPaywallContent
    ...scmpYoutubeContent
    ...hooksTrackPageViewArticle
    id
  }
}

fragment articlePianoPaywallContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksPaywallPromiseContent
}

fragment articleSectionsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      ...helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection
      ...entityLink
      name
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment articleSeoArticle_3o8td4 on Article {
  ...hooksArticleSeoArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersGetArticleTypeArticle
  entityId
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
  summary {
    text
  }
  subHeadline {
    text
  }
  body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
    text
  }
  keywords
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  topics {
    name
    entityId
    id
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  images {
    style(filter: {style: "768x768"}) {
      url
    }
  }
  readingTime
}

fragment articleSourceHeaderArticle on Article {
  urlAlias
  ...entityLink
}

fragment authorBlockPrintArticleArticle on Article {
  ...defaultArticleDateContent
  ...authorNamesArticle
}

fragment authorNameAuthor on Author {
  ...entityLink
  name
  entityUuid
}

fragment authorNamesArticle on Article {
  authorLocations
  authors {
    entityId
    location
    ...authorNameAuthor
    id
  }
}

fragment blockquoteQuoteContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment contentHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  socialHeadline
  ...contentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
}

fragment contentNewsletterWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
    id
  }
  sections {
    value {
      relatedNewsletters {
        ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
        id
      }
      id
    }
  }
  ... on Article {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment contentSchemaRenderContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...blockquoteQuoteContent
  ...imageContent
  ...inlineWidgetContent
  ...photoGalleryWidgetContent
  ...scmpYoutubeContent
}

fragment contentShareWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  shortUrl
  socialHeadline
  headline
}

fragment contentSponsorTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentSubHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  subHeadline {
    json
  }
  summary {
    json
  }
  ...contentSchemaRenderContent
}

fragment defaultArticleDateContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksArticleDateUtilsContent
}

fragment entityLink on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  __typename
  entityId
  entityUuid
  urlAlias
  urlRedirect {
    toUrl
    id
  }
  application {
    entityId
    id
  }
  ... on Section {
    fullSectionPath {
      entityId
      id
    }
    parentSection
  }
  ...helpersAppBarVariantBase
  ...helpersApplicationBase
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersAppBarVariantBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsLiveArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...helpersSectionContent
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersApplicationBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
}

fragment helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection on Section {
  name
}

fragment helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle on Article {
  entityId
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  disableOffPlatformContent
  sponsorType
  published
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment helpersCheckIsLiveArticle on Article {
  flattenTypeIds
  liveArticle {
    status
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    paywallTypes {
      entityUuid
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsStyleArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersGetArticleTypeArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        entityId
        id
      }
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter on Newsletter {
  entityId
  name
  alternativeName
  description {
    text
  }
  summary {
    text
  }
  homepageDescription {
    text
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle on Article {
  authors {
    types
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersStyleSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersUseContentSponsorContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    sponsor {
      ...sponsorTagSponsor
      name
      type
      id
    }
    id
  }
  ... on Article {
    sponsorType
  }
  ...helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent
}

fragment hooksArticleDateUtilsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  createdDate
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
}

fragment hooksArticleSeoArticle on Article {
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle
  entityId
  headline
  socialHeadline
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
  images {
    generic_og: style(filter: {style: "og_image_scmp_generic"}) {
      url
    }
    styles(filter: {styles: ["og_image_posties_article", "og_postmag", "og_image_style", "og_image_scmp_analysis", "og_image_scmp_explainer", "og_image_scmp_editorial", "og_image_scmp_fact_check", "og_image_scmp_debate", "og_image_scmp_live", "og_image_scmp_obituary", "og_image_scmp_opinion", "og_image_scmp_review", "og_image_scmp_series", "og_image_scmp_generic"]}) {
      url
      style
    }
    type
  }
  urlAlias
}

fragment hooksContentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        name
        entityId
        description {
          text
        }
        id
      }
    }
    ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  }
  flag
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  ...hooksContentHelperContent
}

fragment hooksContentHelperContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle
  ...helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle
  ...helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle
  flag
}

fragment hooksPaywallPromiseContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment hooksTrackPageViewArticle on Article {
  entityId
  publishedDate
  headline
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  entityUuid
}

fragment imageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  ...checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent
}

fragment inlineWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentNewsletterWidgetContent
}

fragment mainImagePrintArticleArticle on Article {
  images {
    title
    url
    isSlideshow
    size_652x446: style(filter: {style: "652x446"}) {
      url
    }
  }
}

fragment photoGalleryDialogContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment photoGalleryWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...photoGalleryDialogContent
}

fragment scmpYoutubeContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  publishedDate
}

fragment sponsorTagSponsor on Sponsor {
  name
  type
  images {
    url
  }
}


sections

types

disableOffPlatformContent

sponsorType

published

headline

socialHeadline

authors

images

publishedDate

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

keywords

topics

readingTime

authorLocations

entityUuid

Ben Sin

So you’re in the market for a new smartphone. You’ve heard plenty of great things about Huawei’s recent releases, which have cutting-edge hardware such as cameras that can see in the dark or a screen that folds in half. But you’ve also heard that the US government has banned Huawei from working with American companies, which means no Google services on Huawei phones.
So you look elsewhere because, like most people outside mainland China, your most widely used apps and digital services are American: Google’s search and maps, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Twitter and so on. And did you not also hear something about Huawei being forced to build its own OS as an alternative to Google’s Android?
The situation actually isn’t as dire as this for Huawei – or for its customers.
Huawei phones – even recently announced ones like the Huawei Mate XS and P40 Pro – can run all the American services we mentioned above. And Huawei’s HarmonyOS, which was introduced last summer, is for the Chinese tech giant’s enterprise and home ecosystem business.

Every Huawei rep who has spoken on record over the past six months has insisted the company’s phones will not stop running Android. And there’s nothing the US government can do about that.
The reason is because Android was created as an open-source project, meaning it belongs to the public domain on the web, free and open for all to use. The ban placed by the US government only stops Huawei using the core part of Google’s Mobile Services.
Why China’s digital divide is not going away any time soon
Known as GMS, these are a collection of services with special APIs (application programme interfaces) designed by Google to allow for easy adoption by third-party developers. The services mostly cover Google’s cloud ecosystem, such as Google Drive and Docs, as well as YouTube and the Google Play Store.
Other Google apps that fall outside this umbrella, such as Google Maps and Chrome, work perfectly fine on a Huawei device. In fact, Gmail and Google Calendar work too, but only through third-party apps such as Microsoft’s Outlook.
Other popular American apps such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter are not part of GMS, so they all run flawlessly on Huawei devices as well. But without Google Play Store, the platform from which most Android users download their apps, how will Huawei users get apps on their phones?


To get apps onto Huawei phones, the Chinese tech giant is offering two native options: the company’s own app store, named the AppGallery, and Huawei’s “Phone Clone” app, which allows a quick one-tap transfer of data from old phones to new phones.
The former is Huawei’s alternative to the Google Play Store, which has actually been available on Huawei phones for years, but mostly serving the mainland China audience.
Ever since the announcement of the ban last May, Huawei has pumped significant resources into building the app ecosystem for an international audience, including a US$1 billion initiative to entice developers in the West to join.

In the 10 months since, the AppGallery has already grown significantly from the China-centric version of the store last year. In Hong Kong, for example, just about all the major local corporations have jumped on board: TVB, OpenRice, Hong Kong Airlines, Now TV all have apps available on the AppGallery.
But of course, the biggest apps in the world, like Facebook and Instagram, are still unavailable.
This is where Huawei’s second option comes into play. The Phone Clone app allows easy one-tap transferring of data between any smartphone – iPhone or Android – to a Huawei device.
The process takes between five to 15 minutes, but once finished, most of the apps on the old device – Facebook, Instagram, among many others – will have been copied over to the new Huawei machine.

But what if you do not have another phone lying around to do the transfer? Or if the app you want isn’t on your old device?
For that, we have to turn to third-party websites that host APKs (Android application packages). The two most trusted are APK Pure and APK Mirror. Both are developed and curated by the Android developer community, and are widely used by industry insiders.

APK Pure is easier to use, as it offers its own app store that allows direct downloads. But APK Mirror, which hosts individual APK links for download, has a larger app database. With these two services, just about every popular app that is not in Huawei’s AppGallery is covered, from Spotify to Netflix.
After using the methods described, I was able to get the Huawei P40 Pro and Huawei Mate XS to work mostly like any other phone.
Navigation on Google Maps works; all popular social media apps run with no hiccups; we still get our emails and calendar alerts; and Google search is still available on any web browser, including Google’s own Chrome. Watching YouTube on a web browser is surprisingly just as intuitive as watching on the app.

Not being able to access Google cloud services such as Drive, Docs and Photos is annoying at first, but there are big-name companies like Microsoft that offer the same services (the US government has not explained why Microsoft is allowed to work with Huawei but Google cannot).
If there’s one major obstacle for Hong Kong and European Huawei users, it may be this: Uber cannot run because it uses Google’s location tracking; and previous WhatsApp chat history will not carry over to a new Huawei device, because WhatsApp backs up chat history solely through iCloud (on an iPhone) or Google Drive (on an Android), and neither services can be used. You can still send and receive WhatsApp messages fine, however.

Needing to jump through multiple channels to acquire apps – not all of which will run properly – is never going to be ideal. But for me, the Google ban is surprisingly less crippling than I thought. Huawei phones still run, for the most part, fine.


What Google ban? How to get Huawei phones working with US apps and services like Google Maps and Instagram

Huawei has pledged to invest US$1 billion to nurture the growth of its app store. Already, some popular Western apps such as Snapchat and Amazon are on the platform, and Huawei promises Facebook and Instagram are coming soon. Photo: Ben Sin

Another method to get apps on a new Huawei phone is using the app “Phone Clone”, developed by Huawei to enable one-click data transfer between devices

Most major Hong Kong corporations have jumped on board Huawei’s app eco-system already, as Huawei’s own app store, the AppGallery, already have official apps from TVB, HK Airlines, Open Rice, Now TV, etc.

Another method to get apps onto new Huawei devices is by using a trusted third party app store APK Pure. Most popular apps, including NetFlix, Instagram, and Spotify, are available for download.

Contrary to popular belief, many American companies have been granted permission to continue working with Huawei, including Microsoft, whose entire suite of office apps are available on Huawei’s app store.

A Huawei P40 Pro running YouTube via a web browser. The experience is slightly less intuitive as the YouTube app but completely useable.

Instagram running without problems on the Huawei Mate XS.

A Huawei Mate XS running Google Street View in the Google Maps app without problems.

Gmail services can still be used on Huawei devices, but only through third party mail clients such as Microsoft Outlook.

Lifestyle

Gadgets


The US government ban on Huawei working with American companies is not as dire as it sounds for people wanting a new Huawei phone
Here are easy ways to get things like Google’s search and maps, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube and Netflix onto Huawei phones



The US government ban on Huawei working with American companies is not as dire as it sounds. Here are easy ways to get Google’s search and maps, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and so on onto new Huawei phones.


What Google ban? How to get Huawei phones working with US apps and services like Google Maps and Instagram

The US government ban on Huawei working with American companies is not as dire as it sounds for people wanting a new Huawei phone Here are easy ways to get things like Google’s search and maps, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube and Netflix onto Huawei phones

The US government ban on Huawei working with American companies is not as dire as it sounds for people wanting a new Huawei phone

Here are easy ways to get things like Google’s search and maps, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube and Netflix onto Huawei phones