Huawei has really matured as a smartphone manufacturer over the past few years. Just when everything was going well, hell came down for them due to a series of bans by American companies. The most notable breakup has to be with Google, which eventually led to Huawei no longer being allowed to use the Android operating system.
Huawei barely flinched and revealed that they already had a Plan B in place to survive without Android. Details were scarce until now on how Huawei would develop their own software or would it be based on the Android Open Source Project. A new trademark filing by Huawei with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) shows what they might be up to.
On May 24, the company filed for trademarks on phrases like HUAWEI ARK OS, HUAWEI ARK, ARK and ARK OS. While it would be too early to confirm this as the name for their upcoming Android alternative, looking at how the events have been unfolding, it does seem likely. Huawei had confirmed last year itself that they are working on their own version of software implementations for smartphones and laptops, almost as if they foresaw this entire debacle.
SEE ALSO: Huawei Is No Longer Allowed To Use Android. What Does This Mean For Chinese Smartphone Manufacturers?
It remains to be seen if this is the end of Huawei’s relationship with Android, or if the Trump administration reverses the ban. This entire trade imposition is a part of the US-China trade war which also saw a lot of extra import tariffs and other tools being used for negotiation purposes.
Historically, very few Android alternatives have been able to succeed. We’ve seen Windows phone, BlackBerry OS, Ubuntu, Sailfish and Fire OS die slow deaths over the past decade, reminding us how difficult it really is, to break apart from Android. But Huawei seems rather confident in their offering and has already begun working on their own app marketplace in partnership with Aptoide. Back in China, where Google Play services are not available, Huawei has been doing just fine with their own app store and alternate apps. Only time will tell if people around the world trust the #2 smartphone maker enough to not let them die.
Cover image: Aakash Jhaveri and Dhawal Bhanushali / Mashable India
