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Huawei is adamant that it will continue to use Google’s Android operating system on its flagship smartphone handsets for as long as it is allowed
Huawei has launched its new distributed operating system, HarmonyOS, as the company looks to protect itself from the political caprices of the US government.
Launching its own operating system will effectively protect Huawei from any ban on it being able to access Google’s Android operating system, which underpins its current range of smartphone handsets.
US president, Donald Trump, has repeatedly threatened to block US companies from doing business with Huawei, as he attempts to negotiate better terms in his trade deal with China.
Huawei is quick to point out that it intends to keep using Android services for as long as it is permitted to do so. HarmonyOS will be compatible with smartphones, tablets and smart TV’s and could help to reduce Huawei’s reliance on US based goods and services.
"We’re entering a day and age where people expect a holistic intelligent experience across all devices and scenarios. To support this, we felt it was important to have an operating system with improved cross-platform capabilities. We needed an OS that supports all scenarios, that can be used across a broad range of devices and platforms, and that can meet consumer demand for low latency and strong security," said Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei’s Consumer Business Group.
"These were our goals with HarmonyOS," he continued. "HarmonyOS is completely different from Android and iOS. It is a microkernel-based, distributed OS that delivers a smooth experience across all scenarios. It has trustworthy and secure architecture, and it supports seamless collaboration across devices. You can develop your apps once, then flexibly deploy them across a range of different devices," he explained.
With the US set to unveil new legislation on Huawei’s ability to do business with US firms, next week, the company was at lengths to stress that its customers would still be able to access the full suite of Android services on its new and existing handsets.
"The good thing for our consumers is that nothing will change after August 19th. All Huawei smartphones, tablets and PCs which are sold and are selling in the market will continue to receive security patches, Android updates and Microsoft support. Anyone who has already bought, or is about to buy a Huawei smartphone, can continue to access the world of apps as they have always done. All devices continue to be covered by our manufacturer’s warranty and will receive full-service support accordingly," a company spokesman said.
"Our most popular current devices will be able to access Android Q. In fact, our flagship smartphones, including the P30 Series, will soon be upgraded to Android Q, which we showcased at the recent Huawei Developer Conference in China, the spokesman added.
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