Huawei promises to keep using Android as long as Google keeps it open

Last week a report surfaced claiming Huawei was working on an in-house smartphone operating system to compete with Android. But, in a public statement, the company’s CEO claimed he has no plans to challenge Android, at least in its current form.

“As long as the Android system maintains its openness, Huawei’s smartphone will always use the operating system and ecosystem,” Huawei CEO Richard Yu said on Weibo. (That’s according to Google Translate so it’s possible some of the details may be lost in translation).

The comment seems to be half promise and half warning. If Google decides to tighten the reins on Android ,then Huawei might be forced to switch over to a new operating system.

Yu also notes that Huawei is focused on improving Android with extra software. The company already ships its phones with an EMUI skin, and it recently hired former Apple designer Abigail Brody to refine the user interface. Clearly, it’s still investing plenty of time and effort into Android, though it may also have a backup OS ready to go just in case.