REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke
Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei's consumer division.
- Huaweiis working furiously to get its homemade operating system, Hongmeng, off the ground.
- Reuters reported that it has filed a trademark for the software in nine countries, as well as Europe. China Daily also said Huawei is shipping 1 million test devices.
- Huawei wants to release Hongmeng early next year after being blacklisted by the US government.
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Huawei is working furiously to get its new operating system off the ground amid the serious threat that Google will sever all ties with the Chinese tech company.
US President Donald Trump's administration blacklisted Huawei last month amid fears it is a proxy for Chinese surveillance. It meant Google took the decision to cut off Huawei's access to its Android operating system.
In response, Huawei - the world's second-biggest phone maker - has been ramping up plans for its own operating system, which it wants to release by early 2020, according to Richard Yu, the CEO of Huawei's consumer division.
"Today, Huawei, we are still committed to Microsoft Windows and Google Android. But if we cannot use that, Huawei will prepare the plan B to use our own OS," Yu told CNBC.
Read more: What Google's decision to cut ties with Huawei means for the Chinese tech firm
Now, two reports show how Huawei is busily preparing the Android replacement operating system, which it is reportedly calling Hongmeng.
Reuters said the company has filed a trademark for Hongmeng in nine countries, as well as in Europe. The countries include Peru, Cambodia, Canada, South Korea, and New Zealand, Reuters said, citing data from UN World Intellectual Property Organization. Huawei has already reportedly received trademark clearance in China.
As well as trademarking the software, Huawei is also shipping devices test devices. Citing figures from investment bank Rosenblatt Securities, state-owned newspaper China Daily said Huawei has made 1 million devices available with the software. The software is said to be compatible with all Android apps.
Huawei did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Even if Huawei does successfully release Hongmeng, it faces a battle to keep its position as one of the world's biggest phone makers. Giant firms, including Samsung, Amazon, and Microsoft, have tried and failed to take on the smartphone duopoly of Android and Apple's iOS.
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