“Huawei is working on a replacement for Android operating system”

Huawei is said to be working on an alternative mobile operating system to replace Android. Its own OS could come in handy if American sanctions prevent smartphones with the Android operating system being offered.

The Chinese telecom manufacturer has not disclosed the news itself, but anonymous sources report to the South China Morning Post that it has been working on its own mobile operating system since 2012. The development started after an American investigation into the activities of Huawei and peer ZTE. The idea came from Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, and development has continued as a worst-case scenario.

That scenario could potentially arise due to increased tensions between the United States and China. For example, ZTE is already in trouble because the US government has banned companies from doing business with the Chinese company. As a result, ZTE may also lose its Android license.

Huawei is also in the crosshairs of the US government. For example, an investigation was recently launched into the possible activities of Huawei in Iran. The authorities did this because of the possible export of telecom equipment to Iran at the time of sanctions against that country. If the sanctions were actually circumvented, this could have consequences for Huawei.

According to the sources of the South China Morning Post, Huawei has not yet released its own mobile operating system because it is not yet as good as Android, and because there are few applications for it. A company spokesperson said there are no plans to release its own OS in the near future, but declined to comment further.