Reports: Huawei is working on a Smartphone Powered by In-House Operating System

Huawei is reportedly working on a smartphone powered by an in-house operating system. The reports were confirmed by Global Times, a China-based media outlet.

The reports say that the smartphone could be available globally by the end of this year. The company’s in-house operating system is called Hongmeng. If the new smartphone is launched then it will be a significant achievement for the world’s second-largest smartphone manufacturer amid on-going trade tussle between the United States and China.

The smartphone will be priced at around $288, the reports added. The device will be categorized under the low-end segment of the smartphone market. The company did not reveal anything about the reports when contacted by Reuters on Monday.

According to Huawei executives, the in-house operating system is developed for IoT products. In July, the company unveiled that Honor-brand smart TVs would be powered by Hongmeng. While making announcements to the public, the company downplayed the possibility that the software could power a smartphone.

Reports by Canalys, a market research firm says that while the sales of smartphones tanked outside China, the shipments of smartphones shoot up by 31% in the June quarter.

At a financial event last week, Huawei emphasized the use of Google’s Android operating system for its smartphones and suggested that the in-house operating system as part of Huawei’s long-term strategy.