Huawei is a long-time Android user, but it might be putting a stopper on the relationship very soon.
According to a new report, the China-based smartphone manufacturer has plans to reduce reliance on Google’s operating system.
GizmoChina cites anonymous sources as suggesting Huawei will build it’s own mobile operating system.
It will reportedly land under the moniker ‘Kirin OS’, riffing on the company’s line of custom-built Kirin mobile chips.
While these rumours should certainly be taken with a pinch of salt, a Reuters report from 2012 suggested very much the same thing.
“We’re also devoting resources into coming up with a phone operating system based on our current platform in case other companies won’t let us use their system one day,” Wan Biao, CEO of Huawei Device, was reported as saying at the time.
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Well it seems that the plans are still on track, but when are we likely to see Kirin OS? Quite soon, possibly, as the OS has allegedly been in development for three years.
It’s certainly a big challenge for the company, as Android is now a very mature and competent operating system.
It wouldn’t be unprecedented to challenge Google’s dominance however, as rival tech giant Samsung has been very vocal about its efforts with the company’s in-house Tizen OS.
It’s also interesting that Huawei is said to be working on a smartphone for Google’s Nexus program, while seemingly going to lengths to snub out dependence on the firm.
Do you think more manufacturers should eschew Android and build their own operating systems? Let us know in the comments.
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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.