Huawei’s former budget smartphone unit Honor still on the fence about adopting HarmonyOS, favours Android operating system on its devices

Honor, previously the budget smartphone brand of Huawei Technologies Co, said it will continue to use Google’s Android operating system after launching the firm’s latest 5G devices, dealing a fresh blow to its former parent’s plans to widen adoption of its HarmonyOS mobile platform in China.

George Zhao Ming, chief executive at Honor, confirmed the company’s direction in an interview with Chinese digital media outlet Jiemian, following the launch on Wednesday of its new flagship 5G Honor 50 series. This line includes the Qualcomm-powered Honor 50 Pro and Honor 50, as well as a more affordable Mediatek-powered Honor 50 SE.

This revelation comes weeks after Huawei introduced its HarmonyOS 2, an updated version of its self-developed mobile operating system that has drawn thousands of partners and delivered a stiff reality check – none of the company’s major Chinese Android smartphone competitors were on board.

Huawei, which was put on the US blacklist in May 2019, has made heavy investments in the development of HarmonyOS in a bid to shield its smartphone business from trade restrictions as well as to compete against other major Chinese smartphone vendors.