Chinese smartphone maker Huawei has revealed its rival to Google’s Android operating system after a ban from the US government threatened its use of the software on its phones.
The Chinese firm unveiled Harmony, a dedicated operating system for the company’s phones that the company said should offer improved security due to its design as well as improved performance and efficiency.
Huawei, which is the world’s second largest smartphone maker, was placed on a US blacklist due to claims it posed a security risk and allegations of sanctions violations, something the company has denied.
The listing forced Google, which develops the Android smartphone operating system used by billions of consumers,to limit the work it can do with Huawei, potentially stopping future software upgrades and security updates for the Chinese firm’s phones.
Harmony is Huawei’s back up plan if it is cut off form its US suppliers, although the company has reportedly been working on its own operating system for a number of years.