New Delhi

Huawei, the Chinese technology giant, has faced significant challenges since 2019 when international sanctions severely impacted its global operations. In response, the company shifted its focus to its domestic market and explored new areas of expansion, including the automotive sector.

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To circumvent US sanctions that prohibited the use of American software and hardware, Huawei developed HarmonyOS, an operating system based on the open-source version of Android. This allowed Huawei devices to continue running Android apps through a customised platform, essentially creating an Android fork that maintained some compatibility with the Google ecosystem.

However, Huawei is now poised to make a more dramatic shift away from Android. The company's upcoming operating system, HarmonyOS NEXT, will no longer support Android applications. This marks a significant departure from Huawei's previous strategy and represents a complete break from Google's software ecosystem.

In preparation for this transition, Huawei has been collaborating extensively with developers to create applications specifically for its proprietary platform. The company now believes it has amassed a sufficient collection of essential apps to justify abandoning Android app support entirely.

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Huawei claims that this move will lead to substantial improvements in device performance and battery efficiency, potentially giving HarmonyOS-powered devices an edge over Android phones in these areas.

This strategic shift effectively signals the end of Android Auto compatibility for future Huawei mobile devices. In recent years, Huawei phone users have already faced significant challenges in running Android Auto, often requiring complex workarounds developed by community members. Many users ultimately resorted to alternative solutions for in-car connectivity and navigation.

To fill the gap left by Google services, Huawei has been developing its own alternatives. For instance, Petal Maps aims to replace Google Maps, offering features such as turn-by-turn navigation, offline maps, and real-time traffic information.

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While Huawei has not yet officially confirmed this strategy, the company's substantial investment in HarmonyOS NEXT suggests that a formal announcement regarding the transition away from Android is likely to occur later this year.

This move represents a bold step for Huawei, as it seeks to establish a completely independent ecosystem free from reliance on Google's Android platform. It also highlights the company's determination to overcome the challenges posed by international sanctions and carve out a unique position in the global technology market.