Huawei developing own mobile OS in case it decides to move away from Android

It was reported earlier this month that Samsung may replace Android with its own Tizen OS on all the Korean company’s mobile devices. Now, another big smartphone manufacturer, Huawei, is said to be considering a similar course of action.
A report from The Information says the Chinese company is building an alternative operating system as it "doesn’t want to be on the crutch of Android." The move is partly prompted by a recent statement from Google CEO Sundar Pichai that suggested the company wants more control over OEMs' devices.
In addition to improving Huawei’s EMUI custom Android skin, former Apple mobile UI designer Abigail Brody is spearheading the new OS development team. The project is said to be taking place somewhere in Scandinavia and includes ex-Nokia employees.
Huawei stands at number three behind Samsung and Apple on the list of world’s largest smartphone manufacturers, mostly thanks to the popularity of its mobile devices in China. The company is looking to improve its current Android experience, which has been criticized for its poor user interface and attempts to imitate iOS.
Some of the problems that Brody will address with the next version of EMUI, set for release this fall, include its “glaring cosmetic issues.” These will likely include the introduction of an app drawer, redesigned icons, and a “very clean, fresh” color palette to replace the OS’s current drab scheme.
Brody said she believes Huawei has the potential to be “the world’s No. 1, the most advanced and favorite ‘lifestyle-centric’ ecosystem, and without having to copy Apple at all, ever!"
Introducing its own operating system is just a “contingency plan” that’s still in the very early stages of development, but if Google really does start making more demands of OEMs, and if Samsung starts the ball rolling by moving entirely to Tizen, don’t be surprised to see Huawei wave goodbye to Android.