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Android is one of the most dominant OS in the smartphone industry. From Honor to Samsung, everyone sticks to GMS, following its protocols to bring in the “best user experience”. Amid this monopoly, Huawei proved it can sell phones without Android!
Over time, Huawei established a great “self-developed” device empire in China and globally. This empire is free of Android and GMS, yet it works perfectly.
Not going so far, the Counterpoint and IDC report shows that Huawei has sold around 12.9 million smartphones in the first quarter and 12.5 million units in the second quarter of this year, without Android, but self-made HarmonyOS NEXT.
Did things go smoothly? No! Let us understand how Huawei is doing great in the phones sale without Android and the US technology support.
Flashback: 2019 Huawei Ban
Since 2019, Huawei has been under great pressure in the smartphone world. Reason? US sanctions, of course. Before that, Huawei was at its best in both its home turf and the global market.
With the best 5G chips and software, the company has even left the current Android king, Samsung, behind in the race. But things took a drastic turn in 2019 when the US decided to ban Huawei and prohibit it from using advanced foreign technologies.
The US believed that Huawei would help China to spy on its users’ data and hinder their privacy. Being a private company, the tech giant tried to explain its ownership model and how it is separate from the Chinese government.
However, things didn’t work. As a result, US restricted Huawei to enjoy perks of cutting-edge chipmaking tools, Android, and GMS (Google Mobile Services).
HarmonyOS – A new name in the smartphone OS world!
Huawei introduced HarmonyOS (Hongmeng) in August 2019. The software version was initially launched for smart TVs. But who would have thought that this name would become a big blessing for Huawei smartphones in the time ahead?
In 2021, Huawei started installing HarmonyOS on its phones and several other devices. At this time, the company was still unaware of its potential and used Android codes to build its software versions. Moreover, 5G chips remain a prime challenge.
US instructed its allies and foreign companies to cut ties with Huawei over the advanced chip tech flow. TSMC, which used to supply the Chinese OEM with better tech, stopped the supply. Huawei had to rely on less efficient 4G chips from Qualcomm for its phones and Intel for its PCs.
(Image Credits: Huawei)
2023: Welcome Kirin 5G
Huawei never settled for less. Though it took time to come up with its own solution, it continued to hustle amid challenges. Mate 60 Pro appeared as the big turning point, equipped with Kirin 9000s 5G chip and HarmonyOS software system.
Being a 5G model, Mate 60 Pro resulted in booming sales in China, luring customers in the global market. Though Huawei maintained the US rules and didn’t introduce the model worldwide to avoid further tensions.
Mate 60 Pro sales made Huawei the best performer in Q1 2024 with 11.7 million unit shipments. Profits of 2024 even surpassed Apple with iOS from the smartphone race.
2024: HarmonyOS NEXT, free of Android!
Huawei didn’t rush to join the “self-reliance” path. After years of efforts, the company launched HarmonyOS NEXT – an OS free of Android codes and apps in 2024. To make things perfect, the OEM opened a native HarmonyOS app ecosystem.
Good changes lead to positive growth. Despite Android-free phones, Huawei shipped over 46 million HarmonyOS-powered smartphones last year and a total of 103 million HarmonyOS phones as of 2024.
Huawei proved that it has the calibre to achieve new milestones with its phone, even without the Android of Western technologies. The company is making improvements to its chip and software day by day, planning an even better device experience for its users in every aspect.
