Android faces a major 'catastrophe'.

Following in Huawei's footsteps, Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, and OnePlus are seeking to develop versions of the Android operating system that do not include Google Mobile Services (GMS).

A number of Chinese companies are seeking to develop versions of Android independent of Google. Photo: PhoneArena .

PhoneArena, citing sources, revealed that a number of prominent Chinese smartphone manufacturers, including Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, and OnePlus, are exploring the possibility of developing versions of the Android operating system that do not rely on Google Mobile Services (GMS).

This move is believed to be influenced by the ongoing geopolitical trade tensions between the US and China and concerns about potential future restrictions, similar to those Google previously imposed on Huawei.

Specifically, in May 2019, following the policy of the US Department of Commerce, Google refused to allow Huawei to continue using the Google Mobile Services suite, including Play Store, Gmail, Google Drive, YouTube, etc. This decision at the time effectively slammed the door shut on Huawei's potential to dominate the global smartphone market.

However, Google's turning its back on Huawei was a boost for the domestic market. Strong Chinese support helped Huawei sell 238.5 million smartphones in 2019, surpassing Apple and trailing only Samsung. By the first quarter of 2020, Huawei had captured 41% of the Chinese smartphone market share.

While specific details of any collaboration remain unclear, Xiaomi's upcoming HyperOS 3 operating system could potentially lay the groundwork for a Google-independent system similar to HarmonyOS, Huawei's own open-source Android-based operating system.

If this information is true, it would have a very significant impact, as Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo are all among the top 5 smartphone brands in terms of phone sales worldwide. Moving away from GMS on devices sold internationally would represent a major disruption to the established Android ecosystem.

This comes at a time that couldn't be worse for Google, as the company is already facing antitrust challenges from the U.S. Department of Justice. Chrome could even be sold for up to $50 billion if regulators force Google to divest from the popular browser.

Source: https://znews.vn/android-dung-truc-tham-hoa-lon-post1550707.html