14 DAY TRIAL // Huawei is currently developing its own operating system replace Android and Windows following the US government ban that forbids it from working with American companies.
And while this is pretty much the only way to go for Huawei given it’s no longer allowed to use Android, Google now warns that the Chinese company building its own OS could eventually affect national security.
A report from the Financial Times reveals that Google parent company Alphabet warned that the executive order signed by President Trump in May no longer allows the search giant to release Android patches to Huawei devices.
As a result, Huawei must build its own fork of Android, which would leave the door open to hackers because the Chinese firm doesn’t have the necessary know-how and tech to secure the platform against cyberattacks.
No Google services
Furthermore, Huawei’s operating system would lack Google services, including Google Play Store, so Huawei would have to come up with its own app store too. Google has implemented several security features in the Play store, including Play Protect, which helps detect malware and remove malicious apps.
Without such tech, Huawei’s Android rival could be prone to cyberattacks, and this could eventually backfire against the US government.
According to people familiar with the matter, Huawei wants to finalize its operating system for devices sold in China as soon as this fall, while the international launch of the platform is scheduled for 2020. Codenamed Hongmeng and likely to launch as Ark OS, this operating system would retain support for Android apps, as Huawei wants to make the transition from the licensed version of Android to its platform as smooth as possible.
Huawei is already offering its app store on the devices it sells, but beginning with the new OS, the company would start pushing harder for more apps to be published here.