It is a possibility for which the Shenzhen-based firm, the world's second-largest smartphone maker by sales, has been preparing for years, reportedly since 2012, by building an operating system of its own. "We have prepared our own operating system. Washington last week imposed a ban on the sale or transfer of American technology to the firm -- which could impact hundreds of millions of Huawei phones and tablets around the world. Its own platform, currently undergoing trials, is named "HongMeng" and "will gradually replace the Android system", China's state-owned Global Times said Monday, citing other local media reports without more details. Building an operating system "is exceptionally difficult to do well and to do successfully", said Ryan Whalen, deputy director of the Law and Technology Centre at the University of Hong Kong.

Source: Daily Nation May 21, 2019 07:30 UTC