Talk about having a terrible 2019. Chinese smartphone maker Huawei has been banned by major US tech giants like Google, Intel and even Qualcomm.
And now more troubles seem to be compounding as the SD Association (the trade group that agrees upon standardized specs for SD and microSD cards) has barred Huawei as a member which restricts the Chinese company from using SD card technology going forward.
According to 9to5Google, Huawei can no longer use SD/micro SD cards in its smartphones and laptops from now on.
The SD Association has confirmed to Android Authority that the decision was made keeping in mind American president Donald Trump’s executive order.
MicroSD cards and SD cards will continue to function on existing Huawei and Honor smartphones. However, it will cease to support any future devices coming from Huawei’s factory.
The SD Association joins the long list of companies which have already ended business ties with Huawei. The recent one to sever relations was chip designer ARM.
However, just like Huawei has a backup for Android as an operating system, it has also developed an alternative to SD cards.
The company has its own proprietary SD cards which are physically smaller and have replaced the more universal standard entirely on its newer devices which are being used primarily in China. It may take some effort though to push that format for global markets.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)