Huawei was able to launch the first Hongmeng OS phone with the Mate 30 series
The first smartphone running Huawei's Android competing "Hongmeng" operating system could be launched as early as Q4 2019.
It is the word from Chinese state-run publication, Global Times (via The Verge ), as unnamed sources have claimed that the Shenzhen OEM is preparing a Hongmeng OS-powered phone for the same quarter as the Huawei Mate 30 series.
Instead of being another flagship of Huawei, however, the handset is reportedly a low to mid-tier phone with a price tag of 2000 yuan (~ $ 288 $). Huawei will hopefully hope that the entry level will attract software developers to the platform when it appears to strengthen the "plan B" software.
While the Hongmeng OS will expand to a number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices for both commerce and industry, the report suggests that attempts to play back the potential of the Hongmeng OS as a smartphone ecosystem have all been a calculated strategy. Instead, Huawei has apparently tested quiet compatibility with Android apps, so it has a backup plan in place, should it be blindsided again as it was by the "blunt" US ban.
The report also gives us some detail on the mysterious Hongmeng OS itself. The publication's sources suggest that the operating system has more in common with Google's Fuchsia OS than Android, after being built on a micro-kernel to better support multiple platforms and easily accommodate artificial intelligence features.
Is Huawei really ready to ditch Android?
Before we get too excited about the anticipated major launch of Huawei's experimental operating system as an Android killer, it is worth noting that this report comes from Chinese state media. Due to the ongoing geopolitical tensions, it is worth taking some claims from state-influenced media with a pinch of salt.
There is also the fact that despite the claims from the sources mentioned, Huawei himself seems very keen to present the Hongmeng OS as an IoT first solution and not an Android rival. Just last month, Huawei's senior director Catherine Chen confirmed the company's intention to use Android on the phones. This was repeated by Huawei Chairman Liang Hua just last week in Huawei's H1 2019 earnings report, with Hongmeng cited only as part of the company's "long-term strategy."
Read more: Huawei Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro: All the rumors in one place
It is also quite telling that there has been zero speculation that the expected Huawei Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro will run something other than Android. If Hongmeng was really ready for the first time, you'd think that Huawei would look to land a sucker punch via its flagship phones and not present it in an uninspiring mid-to-low-end phone. This may imply that although we may see Hongmeng on some Huawei phones soon, it may well be withdrawn to budget phones as a potential cost-saving exercise, as Huawei seems to be delivering even more affordable relaxed phones in China and emerging markets. [19659003] We expect to hear official words about the Hongmeng Olympics – which may be called the Oak OS outside of China – at Huawei's Developer Conference this Friday (August 9) in Dongguan.
Would you be excited to see a Hongmeng OS phone this year? Let us know in the comments.
