HongMeng OS isn’t designed to replace Google Android, Huawei executive clarifies

Chairman Liang Hua said last week that the world’s second-largest smartphone maker hasn’t decided yet if the Hongmeng OS can be developed as a smartphone operating system in the future”, according to TechNode. Hua apparently said that the system was designed as a low-latency solution for IoT devices.

That’s a u-turn from Huawei, because the company has previously suggested that it would switch to Android. After the US government banned American companies from doing business with Huawei, the company said that its Android rival could be launched as early as fall this year. “Huawei is in the process of potentially launching a replacement,” Andrew Williamson, vice president of Huawei Technologies Co Ltd’s public affairs and communications, previously told Reuters.

Also read: Huawei founder says HongMeng OS is faster than Android, macOS

Richard Yu head of Huawei’s consumer division, also told CNBC in June that the company plans to roll out the new OS in the fourth quarter in China. In fact, the company’s CEO reportedly said that the new OS will be compatible with various devices, including smartphones, laptops, tablets, smart cards, and will be 60 per cent faster than Android. Huawei recently filed a trademark for HongMeng OS in several countries, according to Reuters. HomgMeng is also known as Ark or Harmony OS outside of China.

A Reuters report last week said that more companies may be granted with temporary licenses to sell their products to Huawei within the next four weeks. Some big tech companies, like Google and Microsoft, have reportedly resumed business with Huawei.