Huawei’s own OS system may be ready this year, says report

Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei Consumer Business Group, presenting the Huawei Mate 9 in 2016. Image: AFP/Christof Stache

Chinese telecom giant Huawei said it could roll out its own operating system for smartphones and laptops in China by autumn after the company was blacklisted by the United States, as per a report on Thursday, May 23.

According to Richard Yu, head of Huawei’s consumer business, the international version of the system could be ready in the first or second quarter of 2020.

The company dealt a blow this week with Google’s decision to partially cut off Huawei devices from its Android OS, following a U.S. order banning the transfer of American technology to the firm.

“In Huawei, we are still committed to Microsoft Windows and Google Android,” Yu told CNBC. “But if we cannot use that, Huawei will prepare the plan B to use our own OS.”

The platform, known as “HongMeng,” is undergoing trials and will gradually replace the Android system, reported the Global Times on Monday, May 20.

“We don’t want to do this but we will [be] forced to do that because of the U.S. government. I think the US, this kind of thing, will also not only be bad news for us but also bad news for the U.S. companies because we support U.S. businesses,” Yu said. “We don’t want to do this but we have no other solution, no other choice.”

The U.S. Commerce Department, which added Huawei and its 68 affiliates to an “entity list” last week, announced a 90-day reprieve which allowed some services to continue on Monday, May 20. HM/JB

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