Huawei is seeking help from Russian business entities to develop a replacement for Google’s Android operating system, according to Russian media.
The Shenzhen-based company is negotiating to put the Aurora operating system, which is currently being developed by Moscow-based firm Russian Mobile Platform, on its devices. Huawei chairman Guo Ping, who attended the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum last week, reportedly discussed the possibility with a Russian official overseeing the telecoms industry, according to Russian online news outlet The Bell.
Huawei is also reportedly discussing the possibility of manufacturing hardware in Russia.
Earlier this month, Huawei bought facial recognition technology developed by a Russian firm and signed an agreement with Russia’s largest mobile network carrier MTS to develop 5G.
Huawei’s sudden interest in Russia came after the company was blacklisted by the US Department of Commerce in May, effectively cutting off the company’s business dealings with US suppliers without government approval.
Last month, Google announced it would stop providing some of its services on Huawei’s new smartphone devices.
Though it is not immediately clear how far along Huawei’s dialogue with Russian entities is, the Shenzhen-based company is unlikely to deploy a Russian operating system on all its devices.
Huawei has reportedly developed its own operating system Hongmeng and registered trademarks for it in multiple countries.
Richard Yu, who oversees the consumer business arm of Huawei, said earlier that his company’s operating system will be ready as early as this fall.