Poll results: timely updates the key for Huawei's new OS
As tensions between the USA and China heighten, and American suppliers cut ties with Huawei, the Chinese manufacturer is forced to find an alternative to Android and the Google Play Store. A couple of weeks ago, we asked APit readers what they'd like to see from an own-brand OS from Huawei. The results are in!
Huawei has been working on its own in-house OS for some time. We may even see it before the end of the year, if reports are to be believed. Of course, the Chinese brand already has a fairly heavy customization of Android called EMUI, but under the new restrictions from Washington, Google will cut all future updates and services from Huawei smartphones. A completely independent OS is required.
This could be seen as an opportunity for Huawei to develop an OS that can compete with Android and iOS, but that is not going to be easy. When we asked APit readers what it would take to compete with the big boys of Silicon Valley, and the results were interesting.
Timely updates, something that a lot of manufacturers struggle with when it comes to the latest versions of Android, was voted the most important factor. Huawei would need to avoid fragmentation to the same levels that Apple does with iOS, most likely. The second most popular choice in our poll was a wide selection of compatible apps. Given that Google apps and services would be out of the question, Huawei would need to develop a pretty killer lineup of alternatives - although it has been doing this for a while now anyway.
In worse news for the Chinese tech giant, the second least popular characteristic that our readers want to see from a new Huawei OS is a design like EMUI. If Huawei is going to create an OS of its own, it is very likely that it would stick to the UI design it has been working on for years.
You can see the full result in the image below.
There were also a couple of good calls in the comments that were not part of our list. Kevin would like to more focus on privacy, with the OS being open source. Sorin wants the UI to be theme based and, most importantly, that the OS is built for speed. Chris Laarman wants a plain Linux experience with an Android emulator.
Are you surprised at the results of our poll? Let us know in the comments below.
