Honor will ‘continue running Android’, flagship phones coming to SA

Huawei’s brother brand Honor has announced that it will continue to use Google’s Android operating system.

This comes after news that Huawei is developing its own operating system for smartphones and other devices, as well as the ongoing trade ban between Huawei and the United States.

“As a company we have made substantial contributions to the development and growth of Android around the world,” the company’s SA head Raymond Liu noted in a statement.

“As one of Android’s key global partners, we have worked closely with their open-source platform to develop an ecosystem that has benefitted both users and the industry.”

“Honor devices will continue running Google’s Android OS, while users will be able to continue using Google services such as Google Play and Gmail along with required updates,” Liu added.

That’s good news for Honor smartphone users. Updates to Google’s OS will continue, while the apps required by many Android users will continue to function.

Honor also noted that despite the Huawei and US relations at present, Honor has its own development team.

As for its future releases, the company recently debuted the budget Honor 8S below the R2000 price point just last week. But expect a few flagship phones coming soon.

“Although the tough external environment brought us some challenges, we managed the business continuity, and we will bring more products to the market soon, including high-end and budget-friendly phones,” Liu explained.

The company does mention the Honor 20 Pro in the release, but fails to clarify if or when this phone will be heading to South Africa.

Liu last week also announced plans to debut its 5G smartphones in South Africa when the country’s infrastructure is ready.

Feature image: Honor 8X, by Andy Walker/Memeburn