Huawei Playing Hard to Get, Says Android Rival Coming Regardless of US Ban

Huawei still isn’t allowed to install Android on its new mobile devices, but this is not necessarily a problem for the Chinese tech giant.

In fact, Huawei says, an Android alternative is on its way regardless the sanctions imposed by the United States.

In an interview with Der Standard, Huawei officials explain that the company is working around the clock on finalizing its Android alternative, suggesting that this OS would serve as plan B if the US ban isn’t lifted.

But at the same time, there’s no doubt that Huawei will continue investments in its own operating system, especially as it wants to reduce reliance on American firms that would make it vulnerable should any further sanctions be announced in the coming years.

Development going at full speed

Huawei already has a team of no less than 4,000 developers working on its operating system, and the company is ready to spend approximately $1 billion on marketing the Android alternative at global level.

This is a sign that Huawei’s OS wouldn’t be aimed just at the Chinese market, but at all markets worldwide, which would essentially make it the third mobile operating system after Android and iOS.

While the operating system developed by Huawei would also support Android apps, the bigger challenge is to actually build alternatives to the Google services that are bundled with Android phones. According to the report, Huawei has already completed the work on over 20 Google service replacements out of approximately 60.

The development of Huawei’s OS would still require some time, and the Chinese tech giant says it’s still willing to use Android on its devices if the ban is lifted. If it’s not, then we should be prepared for the world’s third large mobile operating system going live sometime in the coming years.