Russia-based smartphone manufacturer BQ’s Android license has been revoked. Google Mobile Services (GMS), such as YouTube, Gmail, Drive, and more, must be certified by Google in order to work on a phone.
According to the statement of BQ CEO Vladimir Puzanov, GMS will continue to work on the company’s existing phones and users will not encounter any negative situations. However, Android, which makes up 73 percent of the mobile operating system market in Russia, is the backbone of smartphones in the country, and there is talk of the possibility of the ban spreading to other manufacturers.
BQ begins testing HarmonyOS
BQ will not be able to include Google Mobile Services on its new phones unless it is recertified by Google. According to CEO Vladimir Puzanov, although this only affects themselves for now, it will spread to foreign manufacturers such as Samsung. The first step that the Russian manufacturer will take against Google’s ban has become clear.
According to local media reports, BQ has set its sights on Huawei’s mobile operating system, HarmonyOS. The operating system, which is currently known to have more than 200 million users, is on Huawei’s phones, which shared the same fate as BQ. In January, another manufacturer used the HarmonyOS and HMS ecosystem for the first time.
The Russian company has already started testing HarmonyOS, and CEO Vladimir Puzanov stated that they are considering launching the first smartphones to be produced with this operating system in the second half of 2022. Although BQ is not as popular as world-famous brands such as Samsung and Xiaomi, the decision in question will greatly contribute to Huawei’s dissemination of HarmonyOS.
On the other hand, Vladimir Puzanov said, “It is likely that all Google services in the Russian Federation will be shut down. No official information has come from Google yet. However, we believe that this will happen with a sudden decision of Google. This is how the license was revoked.” He drew attention to the danger that awaits all users in the country.
HarmonyOS is not just an operating system. Huawei has also rivaled Google with its own ecosystem called Huawei Mobile Services (HMS). There are many applications and services in HMS, such as Petal Mail, Petal Maps, Huawei Documents, that will be useful to a smartphone user in their daily life.
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