Huawei’s mobile chief expects self-developed OS to be ready for market roll-out as early as year end

Huawei Technologies, the Chinese smartphone giant facing a US ban that may prevent it from installing Google services on handsets sold in overseas markets, plans to launch its own operating system compatible with Google’s Android, according to Huawei’s mobile business chief executive Richard Yu Chengdong.

Huawei’s self-developed OS will be able to support a range of products and systems within its ecosystem, including smartphones, computers, tablets, TVs, automobiles and smart wear, which will also be compatible with all Android applications and existing web applications, Yu was quoted as saying in a Securities Times report published on Tuesday.

“The Huawei OS is likely to hit the market as soon as this fall, and no later than spring next year,” said Yu.

Huawei did not immediately verify or comment on the report.

Shenzhen-based Huawei, which uses Google’s Android system for its smartphones and Microsoft’s Windows on its laptops and tablets, has long sought to have its own OS to reduce its dependence on US vendors and to prepare for the worst case scenario.

The US government last week placed Huawei and its affiliates on a trade black list that restricts the company from buying services and parts from US companies without approval. US President Donald Trump also signed an executive order barring US companies from using telecommunications equipment made by firms posing a national security risk. The move was widely perceived by China as an attempt to contain the rise of its technological capabilities.