Huawei unveils own OS following spying allegations
Huawei has unveiled its own mobile operating system, HarmonyOS, which the Chinese company could use to power its smartphones instead of Google’s Android.
The phone-maker has been hit by trade restrictions from the US, which has left the firm’s ability to use Android in the long term in question.
Huawei currently uses Android to power its smartphones and other devices, but has admitted it was developing its own OS as a ‘plan B’.
Earlier this year, Huawei was ostracised by Google and had its access to Android removed following allegations of spying before Donald Trump reinstated the Chinese firm’s privileges.
At the company’s developer conference in southern China, Huawei said HarmonyOS would be first used in a new Honor smartphone - a sub-brand of Huawei - which the company announced on Saturday.
Chief executive Richard Yu said the new operating system could be used in phones, computers, tablets and wearable devices such as smartwatches.
However, he said the Chinese firm’s ‘priority’ is to still use Android in its devices, though it could easily switch to Harmony at
any point if necessary.
Mr Yu also revealed that the new software would be open source, meaning it would be available for others to install as their device software.
The Huawei executive said the company wanted the operating system to be global and ‘not just used by Huawei alone’.
Huawei is yet to reveal more details about its operating system, including the content and native apps that would be a part of it at launch.
The firm said it has been developing the software for more than two years but its importance did not become urgent until earlier this year.
In May, Huawei was hit by an executive order from US President Donald Trump which effectively banned it from trading with any American companies. The firm has been dogged by accusations that it has close ties to the Chinese state something it has denied and could be used to spy on people in the West.
The US restrictions saw Google announce that it would limit Huawei’s access to its Android operating system for future devices, although these have since been eased through a temporary licence to trade some items.
Amid the stand-off, the company has insisted that nothing would change for existing Huawei device users and their phones - all currently running Android would continue to function as normal.
The heads of the FBI, CIA, NSA, and the director of US National Intelligence, have warned against the use of Huawei and ZTE smartphones.
Elsewhere, the Pentagon ordered all retail outlets on US military bases to stop selling Huawei and ZTE branded smartphones.
FBI director Chris Wray said the government was ‘deeply concerned about the risks of allowing any company or entity that is beholden to foreign governments that don’t share our values to gain positions of power inside our telecommunications networks.’
A spokesperson for Huawei said: ‘Huawei is aware of a range of US government activities seemingly aimed at inhibiting Huawei’s business in the US market.
‘Huawei is trusted by governments and customers in 170 countries worldwide and poses no greater cybersecurity risk than any ICT vendor, sharing as we do common global supply chains and production capabilities.’
In a statement, ZTE said: ‘As a publicly traded company, we are committed to adhering to all applicable laws and regulations of the United States, work with carriers to pass strict testing protocols, and adhere to the highest business standards.
‘ZTE takes cybersecurity and privacy seriously and remains a trusted partner to our US suppliers, US customers and the people who use our products.’