Huawei has its own mobile OS as a plan B should it need to ditch Android
Given the suspicion that Huawei, the third biggest phone manufacturer in the world is treated, by the United States, has the company considered it might one day need to cease working with American companies on its products?
Yes, according to Richard Yu, the company’s CEO, who says that Huawei has its own mobile operating system ready to go as a “plan B.”
In an interview with German newspaper Die Welt (translation), Yu was asked whether it was a good idea for a Chinese company become dependent on American firms. “The US economy benefits from us,” Yu responded. “Nobody can do it all alone in this industry. Everyone has to work with other companies.”
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When pushed as to whether he would look at alternatives to avoid being so dependent, Yu revealed that he hadn’t just looked at it: Huawei already has one ready to go. “We have prepared our own operating system,” Yu replied. “Should it ever happen that we can no longer use these systems, we would be prepared. That’s our plan B.
“But of course we prefer to work with the ecosystems of Google and Microsoft.”
On one level, this isn’t surprising at all. After all, the company already uses its own smartwatch OS in the Huawei Watch GT, so why wouldn’t it have considered a mobile alternative as well?
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On the other hand, it’s pretty clear this is an “in case of emergency, break glass” kind of plan B. Android is the most popular operating system in the world, even if that’s partly due to a lack of competition. It’s grown to be mature, flexible and – most importantly – has more than two million apps to download. If Huawei went it alone, a lot of choice would be gone – even if it managed to get apps from the major players confirmed ahead of time.
But we live in strange times, and if the US continues its hostile rhetoric towards China – and Huawei in particular – then this is one plan B that might end up being tested.
Would you consider a Huawei phone if it didn’t use Android? Let us know what you think on Twitter: @TrustedReviews.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
