Huawei may be building an Ark (OS) as it prepares for life after Android
The apps came in two by two
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With the news thatHuawei may lose access to Google’s Android platform, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer is in need of a newoperating systemfor its future handsets, and its name may already be decided.
It appears Huawei has trademarked a few names in Europe, with the applications spotted byAndroid Headlines, which point to a new operating system which could be called Huawei Ark OS.
There are, in fact, several names that Huawei has trademarked around this moniker, including “Huawei Ark”, “Ark” and “Ark OS”.
New OS already in the works
Wealready knew Huawei was working on its own PC and mobile operating systems, in case such a ban came in, so the news of a possible name being trademarked isn’t all that surprising.
There’s no guarantee that Ark OS does relate to the firm’s new mobile platform, but the timing certainly appears to line up nicely, with reports suggesting it may be ready for launch before the end of the year.
It’s still not clear whether this is officially the end of the line for Huawei’s Android partnership, or if a U-turn byGooglemay still be on the cards, but the Chinese firm will likely have an uphill battle if it is forced to move onto it own operating system.
We’ve seen a number of alternative mobile operating systems struggle to gain traction in recent years - such as Windows Phone, BlackBerry OS, Sailfish OS, Ubuntu for smartphones and Firefox OS - proving it’s not easy to break away from the established players of Android and iOS.
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A key downfall to many of these alternative operating systems has been a lack of apps, and if Huawei has any hope of its new platform catching on outside of its home nation it will need to ensure it has support for the majority of major apps from launch - which will be no easy feat.
John joined TechRadar over a decade ago as Staff Writer for Phones, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He’s interviewed CEOs from some of the world’s biggest tech firms, visited their HQs and has appeared on live TV and radio, including Sky News, BBC News, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, LBC and BBC Radio 4. Originally specializing in phones, tablets and wearables, John is now TechRadar’s resident automotive expert, reviewing the latest and greatest EVs and PHEVs on the market. John also looks after the day-to-day running of the site.
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