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Asking Huawei to offer SailfishOS for his mobiles since will have some problems with Android support

asked 2019-05-20 03:15:31 +0200

Malkavian gravatar image

After knowing about this: https://www.engadget.com/2019/05/19/google-pulls-android-support-from-huawei/

I twitted them:

https://twitter.com/malkavianbilbao/status/1130233303196459012

https://twitter.com/malkavianbilbao/status/1130233303196459012

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1

link text

Idea of the year...

manu007 ( 2019-05-20 11:23:35 +0200 )edit
7

Trivia - A former Jolla sailor now works for Huawei.

vattuvarg ( 2019-05-20 11:33:24 +0200 )edit
4

As much as I would like this to happen. Jolla in its current form is not ready for end users. Also with a big developer team which Huawei could provide this would need at least half a year. And generally such a new user experience is a big risky move.

CLR64 ( 2019-05-20 13:09:55 +0200 )edit
1

This is very bad for Google, they will have less customers and less influence.

potski ( 2019-05-20 15:00:36 +0200 )edit
2

Adopting Google Android would be like pissing in your pants for warmth in the winter. Somebody must have translated that to Chinese and I am sure they have plan B and have already considered Sailfish. Spying company as they are they may even have taps in the server holding the source code, so I am expecting the upcoming Huawei OS to be a Hybrid of Harmattan, Sailfish , Tizen running with native driver layer on non USA hardware. ;-p

vandersmash ( 2019-05-21 09:31:38 +0200 )edit

14 Answers

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12

answered 2019-05-20 14:26:46 +0200

L_A_G gravatar image

updated 2019-05-20 14:29:30 +0200

I'd like to be optimistic about this, but I wouldn't be that optimistic.

Honestly, I don't see any change taking place other than Huawei moving it's export models to the same Google-free version they've always used in China on account of the Chinese being really protectionist and not allowing foreign service companies like Google to operate in China. Come to think of it, I guess you could call this China getting the same treatment it's given foreign companies so it doesn't have much to stand on if they begin complaining about it.

However I think there definitely is a silver lining in all of this. With Huawei's market share outside of the U.S there's now an even bigger incentive for developers to not rely on the proprietary bits of Android. That means there's going to be fewer apps that don't run on Android compatibility layers like Alien Dalvik which is going to benefit Jolla along with all other Android compatibles and derivatives.

Another benefit is that this will probably drive device makers into having backup plans in case this kind of stuff happens to them and those backup plans may involve SailfishOS. However at the very least it will put more impetus on keeping apps from relying on the proprietary bits of Android.

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7

answered 2019-05-20 13:25:35 +0200

DrYak gravatar image

updated 2019-05-20 18:50:22 +0200

Won't help much in practice:

  • Huawei still gets to use all of the opensource parts of Android, i.e. AOSP, i.e.: the core of the system.
  • The parts they'll miss is the integration of the proprietary "Google Play Service" and Google apps. (the things that Google keeps closed source)
  • This are also the parts which aren't integrated into Alien-Dalvik. Sailfish OS' Android Application compatibility layer is also based around AOSP (currently on the XA2 that's 8.1 Oreo running inside an LXC container).

BUT:

  • I agree that shipping Sailfish OS on Huawei hardware would send a strong message that they don't care if Google stops collaborating.

    TD;DR: It's mostly going to be marketing stuff. (No real impact)

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I still don't know what you'd need Google Play service or even microG for. There are many apps that work fine without it already many of them are quite popular like Telegram, Magic Earth, Maps.me, Whatsapp, Faceswap, Instagram and such. However, i'd like to see more apps getting rid of strong Google dependencies, like DB navigator, which in its current version has barely any use on a Sailfish device. And also, i don't see Huawei taking alternative routes anytime soon. They'd rather sue the living s* out ouf the US govt.

Shoppinguin ( 2019-05-20 19:26:22 +0200 )edit
1

Me personally ?

Yes, I would very much like to go completely Android Free (and I have been, for many years. My previous Smartphones and PDAs - back in the era when this was a separate device from a phone - were Palm webOS and PalmOS powered).

But, I still need Android nowadays, because my friends insist on using WhatsApp as a chatting system, and 3rd party implementation are still banned.

Similarily, I would pretty much like to NOT need Google Play Services nor MicroG. BUT... it looks like most Apps developer are completely addicted to those and their app barely function without those. e.g.: the 2FA of my bank insist on Google Play Services and even the Play Store being present (but why ?!? It doesn't even make sense !) Like you and your problems with DB Navigator, I would also like if app would get rid of strong dependence. But it's not going to be there soon.

Also, some app are only released on the Play Store (non-freemium games) and would be problematic to download from random websites (Payment apps, that need direct access to your bank's SEPA payment).

DrYak ( 2019-05-20 22:33:28 +0200 )edit
7

answered 2019-06-11 14:37:55 +0200

updated 2019-06-11 15:27:12 +0200

I still don't find this likely to happen but apparently there's a discussion between Huawei and Russian government about using Aurora (a Russian Sailfish variant) in Huawei phones.

https://habr.com/ru/news/t/455672/

It says Guo Ping (Huawei CEO) and Konstantin Noskov (minister of digital development and communications) have been discussing a possible replacement of Android with Aurora. And this topic was also discussed between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping.

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4

answered 2019-05-20 22:04:01 +0200

deprecated gravatar image

How about no?

Why on Earth would anyone place their trust in a company that's under 23 indictments for IP theft, obstruction of justice, fraud and evasion of sanctions against a rogue nuclear state?

Speaking purely on the moral implications, Huawei can die a slow death. We don't need their poison screwing up the only living alternative to Android.

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9

Why would you trust any hard- or software from USA instead?

Tanghus ( 2019-05-21 22:44:59 +0200 )edit
2

@Tanghus

I don't. I didn't make that assertion. I simply stated that trusting a company that is literally under indictment for IP theft, obstruction of justice, fraud and evasion of sanctions with the ONLY third-party independent mobile OS is categorically stupid.

deprecated ( 2019-05-22 02:27:41 +0200 )edit
2

answered 2019-05-20 12:59:59 +0200

clouseau gravatar image

Yeah. Because of the measures taked against China by USA, Google has announced to stop all hw/sw cooperation with Huawei. All their phones will stop geting any updates from Google soon.

This is a big bite but here's the chance.

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1

answered 2019-05-21 19:04:20 +0200

Spark gravatar image

Huawei announced a Huawei OS:

https://weibointl.api.weibo.cn/share/72019470.html?weibo_id=4374500504258689

Translated to English:

https://translate.google.de/translate?sl=zh-CN&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fweibointl.api.weibo.cn%2Fshare%2F72019470.html%3Fweibo_id%3D4374500504258689

Their OS sounds what the heads of Jolla promote SailfishOS to be like. Let's see if we witness the biggest surprise of Huawei adapting/licensing Sailfish (like russia does with "Aurora OS"), or if it's really just their own development.

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1

https://www.huaweicentral.com/hongmeng-is-huaweis-first-ever-self-developed-operating-system/

rumors say that work on this software has been ongoing since 2012

Chris_ ( 2019-05-21 19:47:39 +0200 )edit

Trivia
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Meng

vattuvarg ( 2019-05-21 19:55:17 +0200 )edit
1

answered 2019-05-23 00:08:39 +0200

Chap gravatar image

Really hope that this will not happen. Ever. Huawei is built to spy its users, exactly why we use SFOS.

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1

answered 2019-06-11 19:11:13 +0200

Georgi Kolev gravatar image

https://thebell.io/operatsionnuyu-sistemu-android-v-smartfonah-huawei-mozhet-smenit-rossijskaya-avrora/ Interesting...

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1

For those not reading in Russian: Huaway CEO and Russian Minister of Digital Development and Communications discussed a possibility to install Aurora OS (a localized Russian version of Sailfish) on Huawei devices during the economic forum in St. Petersburg. "Huawei has already been testing Aurora on its devices" - said the insider of The Bell media. Rostelecom and Huawei refused to make any comments on this.

Nautilus ( 2019-06-11 22:39:56 +0200 )edit
1

answered 2019-06-12 14:10:32 +0200

chris_bavaria gravatar image

Android-Alternative: Steigt Huawei auf russisches Betriebssystem um?

https://de.sputniknews.com/wirtschaft/20190612325216810-android-alternative-steigt-huawei-auf-russisches-betriebssystem-um-/

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0

answered 2019-05-20 13:35:56 +0200

ApB gravatar image

Not the slightest chance. People need all the stuff that run on Android (app ecosystem) hence Huawei will find a way to provide it to them.

  • the HW follows the android paradigm which is bigger = better and is everything SFOS shouldn't be.
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And they already worked on new OS so why would they use Sailfish when they have something inhouse with probably android support too.

skkayman ( 2019-05-21 00:17:07 +0200 )edit
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Asked: 2019-05-20 03:15:31 +0200

Seen: 5,286 times

Last updated: Jun 12 '19