Xiaomi says why controversial Google apps branding is on international Mi 10 boxes

Just before March ended, Huawei officially unveiled its P40 series. The smartphones were marketed internationally, but with a big caveat. Due to the US trade restrictions, the handsets did not ship with Google Mobile Services. Industry analysts point out that in its home country of China, GMS is blocked by default. However, consumers in markets outside of Chinese territories are dependent on the software. In an unexpected surprise, Xiaomi launched the global version of the Mi 10 series last week with a disclosure on the box that says "with easy access to the Google apps you want."

This statement printed on the packaging material immediately prompted journalists to assume that it could be a jab at Huawei. Unlike its rival, Xiaomi was not included in the list of Chinese companies that are restricted from doing business with suppliers in the United States. However, the latter was quick to clarify that this was at the mandate of the internet search company. This would have been a controversial matter if the intent was exactly what was speculated.

Despite the allegations by US officials, Huawei denies that its products are being used by China to spy on the government. Thus, it being blacklisted from sourcing components and services from the US remains a sensitive topic.

This even led the manufacturer to develop its own curated app repository, which is intended to rival Google's Play Store down the line. Chinese media apparently mistook Xiaomi's retail box message as unpatriotic, according to XDA Developers.

The latter wasted no time and issued a statement that explains why the issue came to be. It seems that a revised Mobile Application Distribution Agreement (MADA) issued by Google requires its OEM partners to follow some guidelines. Similar to the "powered by Android" co-branding that shows up during the boot sequence, the "with easy access to the Google apps you want" line has been provisioned for a while now.

A spokesperson from Xiaomi issued a statement that read, "this line on our Mi 10 series packaging boxes is consistent with Google's long-standing branding guidelines, intended to help ensure consumers are properly informed of the software on the device."