Android and iOS Face New Rival: Major Competitor Enters Smartphone Arena

The Chinese conglomerate BBK (comprising Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus) has teamed up with Huawei to create an operating system that serves as an alternative to Android and iOS, one that is completely free from American services. This initiative is seen as crucial at a time when the White House is deepening its protectionist stance against companies based in China.

Android and iOS will soon face a new major competitor in the realm of smartphone and tablet operating systems. BBK, which owns brands such as Xiaomi, Vivo, OnePlus, and Oppo, plans to follow Huawei’s lead in developing an OS independent of Google services and U.S. patents.

The development could largely leverage the groundwork laid by Huawei, which has recently expressed its readiness to sever its remaining ties with Android, along with Xiaomi’s Hyper OS system. After facing severe U.S. sanctions and being cut off from Google services, Huawei decided a few years ago to develop its own mobile operating system, known as HarmonyOS.

BBK Group Aims to Break the Android-iOS Duopoly in Smartphones

The software was initially based largely on Android’s code. However, it incorporates alternatives instead of standard applications such as the Play Store. The challenge is that the app store for Huawei’s smartphones running HarmonyOS still predominantly features apps geared towards the Chinese market and lacks many essential apps needed by international users.

Since being targeted by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the brand has largely retreated to its home market, at least in terms of smartphones. This has made the ecosystem less appealing to many developers in Europe and North America. This is precisely where the initiative by BBK’s brands could make a significant difference.

Collectively, three of the four manufacturers within the group accounted for 28% of the international market share in the fourth quarter of 2024 (according to Counterpoint data). This positions them as the top seller, surpassing both Apple and Samsung. Essentially, this is the perfect positioning to introduce a major new player that could challenge Android and iOS and potentially unite most developers. Most importantly, it could significantly disrupt the established order.