Huawei Officially Announced Its New OS with 1 Million Devices Installed with It

By
Zhi Hao
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Sick of Android’s ‘flawed’ operating system?

Tired of Apple’s ‘biased’ operating system?

Fatigued of your school’s ‘structured’ operating system?

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Now, while I can’t do anything about the last one, there might actually be an alternative to the first two. Because according to Channel News Asia and Mothership…

Telecoms giant Huawei is in the process of potentially launching its Hongmeng operating system (OS) to replace the US Android OS, and according to reports has shipped one million devices with its in-house operating system (OS) installed.

Image: Dignited

Huawei Officially Announced Its New OS with 1 Million Devices Installed with It

Lest you’re unaware, Huawei’s development of their new OS actually stems all the way back to 2012, as an initial secret project conceived in Shenzhen to reduce the company’s vulnerability to the U.S. But considering how things worked out since then…

I’m sure they’re glad they embarked on this secret project in the first place.

Lest you’re unaware, Android has cut off all ties with Huawei, with US allegations that “back doors” in Huawei’s routers, switches and other gear could potentially lead China to spy on US communications.

But just as everyone’s writing off Huawei as yet another “could have been” story, the telecoms giant has staged a strong comeback, with the development of its own Hongmeng operating system as well as collaborations with other Chinese smartphone powerhouses.

And now, it seems that Google’s dominance could actually be threatened.

In an interview, Andrew Williamson, vice president of Huawei Technologies’ public affairs and communications, stated that the company will “presumably” trademark Hongmeng.

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“Huawei is in the process of potentially launching a replacement,” Williamson said in Mexico City.

“It’s not something Huawei wants. We’re very happy of being part of the Android family, but Hongmeng is being tested, mostly in China.”

“Presumably we’ll be trying to put trademarks,” he added.

Williamson also added that should trade tensions progress into a full-blown trade war, Hongmeng would be ready to go “in months.”

One million devices shipped

According to China Daily, Huawei has shipped one million devices with its in-house operating system (OS) installed, with these phones being prepared for testing.

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In May 2019, Huawei’s Consumer Business CEO, Richard Yu, said that the operating system will be “available in the fall of this year and at the latest, next spring”.

According to reports, Huawei’s OS will be able to operate on various products such as smartphones, computers, tablets, and smart wear, and is apparently compatible with all Android applications.

Additionally, it will have “increased security functions to protect personal data”.

Reducing Android’s dominance

According to Fortune, Google has warned the Trump administration that the Huawei ban would be detrimental to national security.

This is because the Huawei OS, which is altered from an open-source Android OS, will be susceptible to hacking risks.

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Also, the notion of cutting Google off from Huawei, the world’s second-largest smartphone maker, means that the former will lack access to the vast consumer data which propels its advertising.

Director-general of China’s Information Consumption Alliance, Xiang Ligang, has since stepped out in response to Google’s claim, stating that Google’s instead motivated by concerns that HongMeng OS will pose a threat to Android’s dominance.

As of May 2019, Android’s mobile OS market share worldwide stands at more than 75 per cent.

Whether it can retain that share after Hongmeng’s introduction, however, will be a notion that remains to be seen.

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Zhi Hao
Email: chan.zhihao@goodyfeed.com