Huawei Technologies built its own operating system for smartphones and laptops — to be used in case it’s forced to stop using Google and Microsoft products.
On Monday, Kanyi Daily reported that Google suspended Huawei’s Android licence, pulled off Play Store and ended the transfer of hardware, software or technical services to Huawei except what’s available via open source.
In addition to using the Android mobile operating system for handsets, Huawei uses Microsoft Windows for its laptops and tablets.
Richard Yu, the CEO of Huawei’s consumer division, told German publication Die Welt in an interview, that the company has a back-up operating system, in case it’s blocked from using U.S.-made software.
“We have prepared our own operating system. Should it ever happen that we can no longer use these systems, we would be prepared,” Yu said, according to a translation of the original German text. “That’s our plan B. But of course we prefer to work with the ecosystems of Google and Microsoft.”
Huawei has faced intense political pressure from the U.S. around its networking equipment, but its consumer business has been largely protected from the negative headlines.