Huawei has felt the full force of deteriorating relations between the U.S and China. The company’s addition into the U.S ‘blacklist’ means it cannot use, U.S made software or hardware in its products. With the ban unlikely to be lifted soon, the company is ready to move on.
Huawei Harmony OS
The Chinese tech giant has been polishing its new operating system, dubbed Harmony, seen as a potential replacement to android in Huawei devices. The new OS is based on a microkernel, which means it can be used in a wide array of devices ranging from smartphones to computers, smart speakers, as well as smartwatches.
The purported Android replacement works well with devices equipped with small amount of RAM as well as those requiring hundreds of gigabytes in memory. While the operating system has only been used in television sets, it could soon find its way into Huawei smartphones, given the ban in place on the use of Android.
Media reports indicate that the first Huawei smartphone powered by the new OS could ship as early as next year. Huawei is believed to be preparing to launch a second version of the Harmony operating system this month that will be used on upcoming devices.
U.S-China Relations
A transition to Harmony OS, while a painful one, indicates Huawei does not expect the US to lift a ban that prohibits it from using technologies such as Android. While the company has over 600 million users, it awaits to be seen if it will succeed in hanging on to them, with the launch of Harmony powered devices and not Android.
Huawei has always insisted it wants nothing but a return to normal that will see Google restored in its device. However, with tensions between the U.S and China at an all-time high, the same is unlikely. The U.S has taken a swipe at a number of Chinese companies claiming national security concerns given their close ties to the ruling party.
With the situation unlikely to improve, Huawei may be well suited to move forth with the new operating system.
