Huawei is making broad steps away from Android following the May ban that blocked the use of any Google services on the company’s products. After the unveiling of Harmony OS, the most likely operating system to run on Huawei phones if the ban is not revoked, there are reports of the company building an alternative to Google Maps – called Map Kit.
The reports indicate that the company plans to officially declare the new mapping service in October, and the service will most likely be connected to local mapping services and in over 150 countries and regions.
As of today, Map Kit is Huawei’s mapping service but it is not directly used by consumers but rather by software developers who wish to come up with applications based on its mapping capabilities.
The indications point at Huawei partnering with Yandex, a Russian internet company, and Booking Holdings, from the US, to avail further support to the development.
Huawei Map Kit will be available in 40 languages and it will be in position to offer real-time traffic conditions and a navigation system which can recognize a car changing lanes. Additionally, it will support augmented-reality mapping.
Shortly after the ban, Huawei Founder and CEO – Mr Ren Zhengfei expressed his confidence in the company’s business and capacity, stating that the company is ready for anything that comes up because it has been anticipating of such situations.
The unveiling of the Harmony OS and the potential launch of its own mapping system is visible proof that Huawei can progress beyond Android.
