[Huawei Mate 20 Pro Questions & Answers] mei@:
The Mate 20 series is one of the hottest phones on the market right now, and as a longtime Huawei fan, I really have to say how impressed I've been by this series: it looks great, it's got a very strong NPU, a super-cool three lens camera system. I love the Mate 20 series and picked a Chinese version up as soon as I could. As somebody who regularly travels internationally, I also pay close attention to the differences between the domestic and overseas versions of devices like this. So I'm sure that a lot of other people are wondering the same thing: if I try to use my Chinese Mate 20 series while overseas, will I run into any problems? If something happens, what should I do? To answer these questions, I checked out some materials on Huawei's official website, spoke to their customer service, and conducted my own little experiments, and I'd like to share what I found with all of you.

First off, the Chinese and overseas versions of the Mate 20 series are actually different model numbers: the overseas versions include the L29, the L09, and the L0C, while the Chinese versions include the AL and the TL. These differences in model numbers reflect different specifications. For example, there is a 4 GB+128 GB (RAM+ROM) model, a 6 GB+64 GB model, and a 6 GB+128 GB model. The Chinese and overseas versions also support different network frequencies. For example, the overseas version supports the B28 frequency band, while the Chinese version does not.

Further, the models for some overseas countries and regions have had to be intensely customized in partnership with local network providers in order to provide full compatibility.

Thus, the unmodified Chinese version may experience compatibility issues in some of these overseas countries and regions. Therefore, if you wish to use your phone as you travel overseas, it is recommended that you purchase the overseas version of the Mate 20 for optimum user experience and more rapid maintenance and other services.

If you have already purchased the Chinese version of the Mate 20 and regularly travel abroad, you may wonder what kind of problems you can expect and how to resolve them. Based on my own experiences, I've found a few possible problems that you might encounter, and through consultation with Huawei's customer service and my own experimentation, I've discovered some possible solutions for each. Although you may not encounter all or any of these, it's always best to be prepared, and I hope this information is helpful to you.

Problem 1：When using a SIM card such as the kind used by Germany's Virtual National Roaming system (this card with two numbers assigned to it, which allows you to freely roam between two countries and their respective mobile networks), you can't access the 4G network while roaming, and can't even call the emergency numbers.

Solution：Try the following:APN: Go to Settings > Wireless & networks > Mobile network > Access Point Names and choose to create the correct APN appropriate to your network provider.

Problem 2 ：I encountered an error with the number of my voice mailbox, and it won't work.

Solution：Try the following:Go to Dialer > ︙ (menu in the upper right corner) > Settings > More > Voicemail and reset your voice mailbox number (to find your correct voice mailbox number, please check with your network provider).

Problem 3：The method of fee/deduction on my phone is different from what it's supposed to be.

Solution：This is commonly caused by errors in setting up the phone's pre-pay/post-pay system. Go to Settings > Wireless & networks > Mobile network > Access Point Names and choose to reactivate the correct APN for your network provider.

Problem 4 ：I can't send text SMS messages.

Solution：Go to Messaging > ︙ (menu in the upper right corner) > Settings > Advanced > SMS center number, and enter the correct SMS center number for your network provider. (The SMS Center is only available when a SIM card is inserted in slot 1, and the correct SMS center number should be that which corresponds to your network provider)

Problem 5 ：The overseas version closes my apps while they're running in the background or when the screen is locked.

Solution：Go to Phone Manager > App launch, then set your apps to manual management and enable them to run in the background.

Problem 6 ：I don't know how to disable the Record call function.

Solution：The Record call function is able to record your calls with other parties, and this must be done in accordance with local laws and regulations. If you have enabled the Auto-record calls function, and wish to disable it, go to Dialer > ︙ (menu in the upper right corner) > Settings > Auto-record calls and choose to disable Auto-record calls. Even while the Auto-record calls function is disabled, you can still manually switch Record call back on for individual calls.

Problem 7 ：I don't know how to disable the Call Translation function.

Solution：As part of my research, I learned that the Chinese version of the Huawei Mate 20 Porsche Design has the Call Translation function that supports ten different languages. You can choose the languages involved in the translation on the Call settings screen, and touch the icon of Call Translation in the upper right corner of the screen to enable it. After the Call Translation function has been enabled, your call recording with other parties and both the text and audio record of the translation will be deleted from your phone after the call. (P.S.: This is really useful when traveling abroad; I really wish I had gotten the Porsche Design.)

Problem 8 ：Emergency numbers are shown in the call log, and are not automatically hidden or deleted.

Solution：If needed, I recommend manually deleting each emergency call from the call log after the call is complete.

Problem 9 ：I can't use Google apps (for example, opening the Google Play store shows an error code; Google Maps can't find my location; Google apps close on startup, etc.)

Solution：Being unable to use Google apps while overseas can be very annoying. Based on my experience, I recommend checking the following solutions, one at a time, in the following order:

1. Check whether your phone has been pre-installed with Google Play services. Go to Settings > Apps > Apps and check whether Google Play services is in the list. (I checked Mate 20, P20, and Honor 10 devices; a lot of the higher-end Huawei models had the service package pre-installed). If Google Play services has not been pre-installed, you will be unable to use Google apps on your device while abroad. You will only be able to open their webpage versions in your browser.

2. Check whether you access the Internet through a Chinese SIM card and roaming data plan. While roaming, your mobile data is actually still being processed through the Chinese network, so you will still be unable to access Google servers, same as if you were in China. Therefore, I recommend you pick up Huawei SkyTone data plan before going abroad, which will let you use your roaming service worldwide and is extremely convenient.

3. Check whether your app management is set to manual. Go to Phone Manager > App launch, and set Google Play services to manual management.

4. You may be experiencing compatibility issues with your version of Google Play services. Go to Settings > Apps > Apps > Google Play services, and perform the following:

a. Touch DISABLE, if it is available. Alternatively, touch the three-dot menu in the upper right corner and then touch Uninstall updates.

b. Go to Storage > MANAGE SPACE, and touch CLEAR ALL DATA.

5. Uninstall and then reinstall the Google Play app, Google Maps, or other Google apps.