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Huawei became a smartphone heavyweight on the strength of Google'southward Android platform, simply the solar day may be coming when Huawei leaves Android backside. As US merchandise restrictions proceed to squeeze the business firm, Huawei has announced HarmonyOS 2.0. The latest version of its in-house operating system has support for phones, and it plans to launch devices next twelvemonth. If it works, Huawei might not need Android anymore.

Huawei'southward fortunes have turned around dramatically in the last couple of years. Huawei was riding high in the Android ecosystem back in 2018, aiming to launch its first phones on U.s.a. carriers. So, the US government strongly hinted to AT&T and Verizon that Huawei was not welcome. The bargain fell through and Huawei shifted its focus away from the The states.

Nosotros're now seeing how much economic control the The states tin exert fifty-fifty on a foreign company that doesn't operate in America. In 2019, the Commerce Department added Huawei to its "Entity List," which prevents US firms from doing business with the Chinese company unless they accept a special license. Google is one of those companies, which ways no Google apps on Huawei phones.

In the absence of Google's ecosystem, Huawei doesn't have much reason to stick with Android. Information technology debuted HarmonyOS as an Android alternative last year. The first release was aimed at TVs and other non-phone devices, simply the company said it could movement chop-chop to switch its smartphones to HarmonyOS if necessary. Nosotros're about to observe out if that's truthful — HarmonyOS 2.0 has been unveiled with phone support, and developers will be able to get their hands on it before long.

Huawei has re-released the P30 Pro several times equally it was the final platform with Google support.

Huawei says its Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) platform, an alternative to Google Mobile Services, already has almost 100,000 apps. That's upward from 60,000 in May. HarmonyOS will launch for developers later this yr, and Huawei says new phones could launch with the software in 2021. With its own smartphone OS, Huawei can practise as it pleases without any reliance on Google, which does not operate in China.

The company seems to be hedging then it tin can backtrack in the upshot a new US authorities eases restrictions. Although, it's looking increasingly unlikely a Democratic administration would be whatever kinder to Huawei. Currently, Huawei is hovering around the top of the Android device marketplace, thanks largely to its dominance in Communist china. Exterior China, Huawei's Google-less smartphones aren't as appealing. If it can get plenty apps on HarmonyOS and detect a solution to its chip woes, Huawei might be able to cobble together a long-term business model that completely bypasses the US. It'due south going to be rough, though.

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