The last year's worth of international news hasn't been pleasant reading for Huawei owners. The Chinese-built handsets which seemed to arrive on the market from nowhere and take it by storm always seemed like they were too good to be true, and they might have been. We'll probably never know whether or not they were being used to spy on us, but the fact that enough people were concerned that they might be means that they're no longer viable as phones in the Western world.
We don’t say that because people are giving away their Huawei handsets voluntarily; many users love the phones so much that they don’t even mind the possibility that Chinese spies might be watching their every move! We say it because it’s no longer a practical choice to buy a new Huawei phone because they won’t have access to Google’s Play Store. For the majority of casual users, the effect of that block is equivalent to an outright block in the ability to download apps, and clearly, that's not a situation any smartphone user can be in as we head into the 2020s. Apps have long ago taken over our lives, and phones without them are just, well, telephones.
Unless you're reading this in China - in which case the block won't matter to you at all - that means your time as a Huawei user is coming to an end, if it hasn't done so already. If you're on a contract, that contract will eventually expire, and you'll want a new handset. If you're not on a contract, that current Huawei model you're running won't last forever, no matter how well made it is. Sooner or later, you're going to want a replacement, and that fact probably fills you with dread.
Very few of us look forward to switching smartphone manufacturers. We come to love the brand we're with and fear the brands we're not. We get nervous about their build and functionality, and whether they'll actually do all the things we want them to. Plus, who enjoys spending money on the unknown? Perhaps only casino slots players truly relish that. Their hobby involves spending a few dollars on spinning reels and waiting to see whether it's been a wise investment. A fresh phone contract is likely to cost a little more than betting on a mobile slots game, though. If you're buying a new handset outright, it might even cost more than winning a mobile slots jackpot!
To take some of the worries out of the process, we've had a quick glance over the range of Android phones which are currently available, and picked out the ones which are likely to appeal most to Huawei users. Here are the best three.
The Xiaomi Mi 9
You might be asking yourself who Xiaomi is, but don’t forget you once had similar questions about Huawei. Xiaomi is another Chinese smartphone manufacturer - and one which so far hasn’t had its name dragged into any reconnaissance scandals. They were once the most valuable start-up company in the world before having a minor crisis, but they’ve since recovered in style. Now, they plan to take over the smartphone market.
Their most eye-catching model in the here and now is the Mi 9, which even looks a little like the Huawei P30. The curved back will feel familiar, the screen is a similar size, and it even has three camera lenses on the back just like the Huawei phones do. We don’t want to call it a clone phone, but it’s very close in both look and feel. Not only that, but it’s also comparatively cheap. Buying one outright will cost you less than five hundred dollars.
The OnePlus 7 Pro
Another phone from a less well-known manufacturer. We see that as a positive, though - the lesser-known brands tend to come with lower prices, and this highly stylish phone will come in somewhere around the seven hundred dollar mark. Again, that’s less than you’d spend on a Huawei P30 model, and without any obvious drawbacks.
OnePlus have really been upping their game when it comes to smartphone design in recent years. They’re now at the point where they believe they can go toe to toe with Samsung, and may even have exceeded Huawei’s standards. The 90Hz screen is a game-changer, and the pop-up selfie camera means less clutter on the phone’s body - as well as helping the lens to stay clean. Throw in the fact that it comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, and this is a very attractive option.
The LG G8
Yes, that’s right, we’re making three recommendations to you without suggesting Samsung or Google as alternatives. We figure that if you really wanted a phone made by either of those companies, you’d probably already have one. You went with Huawei because you wanted something different, and so we’re going to stick to focusing on those different options. With that in mind, here’s a phone from one of the most underrated manufacturers in the world.
At the moment, there’s a lot of fuss about phones with wide-angle cameras. LG started that trend, and the technology is present on the L8 model. If you regularly shoot video, you won’t find a better Android phone anywhere. It might not look as elegant or sophisticated as the Xiaomi or the OnePlus options, but looks aren’t everything. The LG G8 is made of quality components, and comes in at seven hundred dollars. Again, that’s less than you were likely to spend on a new Huawei phone. This is a very solid, dependable phone.
If none of the above options sound like what you're looking for, there's always one more thing you could do; simply give in to the inevitable and get a Google or Samsung phone. They're more expensive, and it feels like you're paying a lot for what you get, but they're market leaders for a reason. You'll very rarely find a badly- made or unreliable Samsung or Google phone (ignoring Samsung's unfortunate exploding phone dramas from a few years ago). You might feel like you’re following the crowd, but you know what they say; if you can’t beat them, join them!
