Huawei is preparing to release its HarmonyOS for smartphones, in an effort to end its dependence on Google.
The Trump administration banned Huawei, restricting its access to Google’s Android updates, as well as Google’s apps. As a result, the company has had to look for alternatives, such as striking a deal with TomTom to replace Google Maps.
While Huawei had been working on HarmonyOS before it was banned, being cut off from Google’s services raised the stakes even more. Since Android is open source, Huawei is using Android as the basis for HarmonyOS.
Huawei is now planning on releasing HarmonyOS on June 2, although it remains to be seen if it will impress or disappoint. It doesn’t bode well for the company that early information indicated HarmonyOS was based on Android 10, whereas Google is already working on Android 12.