At the end of the last decade, Huawei made headlines when it lost access to Android due to trade restrictions. The company faced challenges without the mobile operating system for years, working tirelessly to develop alternatives. Now, as Huawei regains its footing and climbs back up the ranks of the world’s top smartphone makers, it has officially broken free from Android.
Between 2017 and 2019, the U.S. government began imposing bans on Huawei, restricting the company from using American-made smartphone components. While several key brands, like Qualcomm, also pulled their support, the biggest blow came when Huawei lost access to Android, the world’s most widely used mobile operating system. This setback had a major impact on the company’s smartphone business.
To make up for the loss of Android, Huawei developed HarmonyOS, a custom operating system built on the Android Open-Source Project. While it was designed to be independent, HarmonyOS still carried some of Google’s DNA under the surface.
Now, Huawei has confirmed that the next version of HarmonyOS will fully break away from Android, according to Bloomberg. Called HarmonyOS Next, it’s said to be built from the ground up, marking a fresh start for the operating system.
The new operating system will make its debut with the Mate 70 series next month. Along with HarmonyOS Next, the flagship smartphone will feature a chipset entirely designed and made in China. This marks another step in Huawei’s ongoing effort to become fully independent from American components. While the new OS is a major milestone for the company, Huawei has stated that it’s still fine-tuning and optimizing HarmonyOS Next for future versions.
