Huawei Hongmeng OS: All you need to know

After Google decided to pull Huawei’s Android license to power its phones, the Chinese telecommunications giant accelerated the development of its own operating system -- Hongmeng OS -- which was in the works from the past few years. In May, Huawei’s consumer business CEO Yu Chengdong confirmed the development of its own operating system which will power the next generation of Huawei smartphones.

While the US commerce department has allowed Huawei to again use Google’s Android license for its smartphones, the company hasn’t stopped the development of its own OS to prevent itself from being banned from Google and Windows again. Now, according to Huawei’s Senior Vice President Catherine Chen, Hongmeng OS is not designed for smartphones, and the company will continue to rely on Android.

Like its own processor Kirin, the Hongmeng OS is also related to Chinese mythology and is based on Linux. The new Huawei OS will work on Huawei tablets, TV, and wearable devices and is also compatible with all Android applications and all web applications. The OS is expected to support all android apps and will also come with an ‘App Gallery’ as a default app.

Huawei which now enjoys a substantial market share and holds the second spot in the global smartphone market – faced a difficult challenge when Google and other US tech companies banned Huawei from using its services and parts. This left Huawei to either to find a way to manufacture a smartphone without the US components and technology or exit the smartphone business entirely.

But the company bounced back thanks to Donald Trump’s administration that later revoked its Android license. Now with Android back in the business to power its smartphones, Huawei Hongment OS will be up for industrial use. According to Chen, a smartphone’s OS generally contain millions of lines of codes, Hongmeng contains much fewer and is very secure.

How Huawei company will finally put the Hongmeng OS to use, is yet to be seen, but as of now, its meant for industrial use and not smartphones.