Huawei P50 could come in Android and HarmonyOS variants
Right now, it doesn’t seem like there is an end in sight regarding Huawei’s placement on the US Entity List, which means that the company definitely needs a new mobile strategy as it means that they cannot rely on Google’s Android anymore, at least not in the long-run.
This is why the company has been stepping up their efforts with its HarmonyOS platform, which in December 2020 was made available as a beta for developers. No one really knows for sure when Huawei will begin the transition, but it could be soon, at least according to a tweet by @hereYashRaj.
According to the tweet, Huawei is expected to begin the transition with their upcoming Huawei P50 series smartphones. The company will allegedly offer the phone in two variants – one running Android and one running HarmonyOS. The China version will only run HarmonyOS (no surprises there), while the global version will be offered in both, although we’re not sure if this means that there will be two options to choose from, or if some markets will get Android and other markets will get HarmonyOS.
#Huawei – Back with some big new of Huawei P50 series ✌️✌️
Huawei P50 Pro
• For Globally – Harmony OS / Android OS both variant
• For China – Harmony OS
• Launch lately in Spring or after, that earlier I had confirmed.
• Kirin 9000 (1/3)#HuaweiP50Pro #HuaweiP50 https://t.co/xBWfv5yjnf pic.twitter.com/hI3E2khbnZ— Yash Raj Chaudhary (@hereYashRaj) January 9, 2021
If this is true, it will be interesting to see how the market reacts to these changes. Right now, Huawei’s phones still run on Android but lack access to key Google services that helped define Android. The company has tried to introduce alternatives, but it seems that they might now be thinking that moving over to its own platform might be better than a compromised user experience.
Huawei recently insisted that HarmonyOS is not a copy of Android or iOS, and that it has broader use beyond just smartphones.
Source: GizChina