Huawei launch the Mate 40 Pro in Australia, but will anyone buy it?

Huawei make some incredible smartphones. The P30 was an absolute powerhouse and the new Mate 40 Pro continues that trend, but in a world without Google, does Huawei have any hope to compete in western markets?

There’s no doubting the new Huawei Mate 40 Pro has some series chops. The new smartphone has once again claimed the highest ever DXOMARK rating. It’s circular array of lenses on the back actually looks good as well as functions unimaginably well. It’s rocking the latest 5nm Kirin 9000 series brain and comes with 5G. There’s a lot to love about this phone. And then there’s no Google.

With an RRP of A$2k, who in Australia is going to drop that kind of cash without access to the Play Store? As Tegan Jones over at Gizmodo points out, there are ways of getting some of the more popular apps on the phone, but who really wants to jump through hurdles just to load Instagram on your phone?