The US government might have lifted the trade ban on Huawei, but the question of whether the upcoming Mate 30 will come with Android is apparently still up in the air.
In a recent report by Forbes, Huawei chairman Liang Hua admitted that the Chinese tech giant is still unsure if their next flagship will be allowed to use Google’s operating system, but also revealed that the company has been developing its own OS as well.
“If the US government allows us to use Android, we will use Android. But if the US doesn’t allow us, then we will turn to alternatives,” he said. “As for how ready our OS is, you’ll just have to see with your own eyes.”
This is a little confusing, considering that Liang himself said last month that HongMeng OS — Huawei’s 60% faster ace in the hole when the ban was in effect — wasn’t a substitute for Android, and Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei added that the company didn’t have a clear plan in place.
Could Huawei have created an entirely new OS in such a short window of time?
On a more positive note, executives from Google and Qualcomm recently met up with the US Government to discuss the terms of the revised ban. It’s mutually beneficial for companies to keep doing business with Huawei, and more of getting around all the red tape at this point.
Nevertheless, Liang remains confident that the issue “will be resolved positively on all sides,” and assured that the company will “keep fighting for the consumer business group’s survival.”
“To the outside, this has been a tumultuous six months, but inside the company we see things as quite calm. In a way, the US government’s pressure on us has helped us understand our objectives better and enhanced our cooperating internally.”
Header Image Credit: Huawei
