Markross121_ No Comments

Huawei unveils Harmony operating system as it weans itself off Google Android

Huawei has unveiled a new operating system for smartphones and other devices, as US trade restrictions threaten its access to American technologies such as Android.

The Chinese firm said its smartphones will continue to use Google’s Android operating system for the moment, but that Harmony could replaced Android “immediately” if necessary.

“Harmony OS is completely different from Android and iOS,” said Richard Yu, head of Huawei’s consumer business group.

The new operating system will be gradually rolled out across support devices such as smartwatches, speakers, and virtual reality gadgets.

 

Harmony is part of a wider drive by Huawei to fast-track the development of its own technologies and reduce reliance on US firms as the US-China trade war intensifies.

US companies are currently banned from doing business with Huawei, and it was announced yesterday that US government agencies have been barred from buying the company’s products.

The government is currently determining whether Huawei will be allowed to participate in the UK’s 5G network, which is in the process of being developed.

 

Read More – www.cityam.com

Markross121_ No Comments

How damaging is the Huawei row for the US and China?

The US is ramping up a conflict with China, putting their economies and their diplomatic relationship at risk.

It has moved to restrict Huawei’s ability to trade with US firms, shortly after reigniting the trade war with tariff hikes.

The latest blows to the Chinese telecoms giant mark a grave escalation in the US-China power struggle.

As the trade war broadens into a “technology cold war”, the prospect of a deal looks increasingly distant.

“The US action against Huawei is a watershed moment and a very significant escalation of tensions,” says Michael Hirson, Asia director at the Eurasia Group.

“A trade deal is not doomed but looks very unlikely, especially in the near term.”

The crackdown on Huawei has become a central part of relations between Washington and Beijing, which has primarily played out as a trade war over the past year.

While the US has justified its actions against Huawei based on the alleged risk it poses to national security, US President Donald Trump has also linked it to the trade row.

Only recently, Mr Trump said Huawei could be part of a trade deal between the world’s two largest economies.

Such comments risk reinforcing a view that the action against Huawei is about more than just security risks.

Some see it as an attempt by the US to contain a powerful Chinese firm, and by extension China’s growing importance in the world.

“The prospect of a US action hobbling one of China’s most prominent tech companies, and key to its global ambitions in 5G, is already evoking a surge of nationalist sentiment in China,” says Mr Hirson.

 

Read More – www.bbc.co.uk