Is Huawei Planning To Ditch Android?

Android’s dominance of the mobile phone market could take a hit following reports that Huawei is considering switching the operating system it uses in its smartphones.

The Chinese manufacturer will apparently use a specially-designed Kirin OS platform to power the company’s future devices as it looks to lessen its reliance on Google.

Huawei currently manufactures Kirin processors for some of its high-end devices, including its flagship P8 and P8 Max smartphones, which are powered by Kirin 930 processors. The company’s Western spin-off, Honor, also uses Kirin chips to power its devices.

All-change?

The claims come courtesy of local site GizmoChina, which was informed by company sources that Huawei would soon make the switch to an independent mobile operating system.

The sources claim that the new Kirin OS has been in development for up to three years, and will finally see the light of day in Huawei’s next flagship smartphone, most likely a future P9.

Samsung also followed a similar pattern recently, developing its own operating system, Tizen, which powers several of its smartphones, along many of its wearable technology devices and smart televisions.

The loss of Huawei would put somewhat of a dent into Android’s user base, although it is doubtful whether it will help iOS topple its great rival.

The latest figures from watchdog Kantar Worldpanel found that 52.6 percent of all smartphones sold in the three months leading up to February 2015 were powered by Android, as opposed to 38.6 running iOS.

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