Everyone has heard about the Huawei-US saga by now (probably). The ban imposed by the US has restricted Huawei from carrying out transactions with US-based companies. Though Huawei can still use the Android platform for its devices, it is doing so without the Google Play Service which forms the backbone of the present-day Android system. Huawei is taking one step at a time to replace it. In the latest move, Huawei is set to join hands with Indus OS so that it can use App Bazaar as an alternative to Google’s Play Store. The Huawei – Indus deal will help Huawei to keep its position in the Indian market.
Huawei – Indus OS Deal
For many of us that are hearing the name for the first time, Indus OS is an Indian platform designed to aid the people of India in discovering services and content in the preferred language of choice. It has its own app store called App Bazaar which is quite popular in India. At present, it is home to over 400,000 apps in 12 different regional languages. Huawei is looking to strengthen its grip in the Indian market through the partnership.
For Huawei to gain access to the Indus App Bazaar, it has to cut a deal with OSLabs – the company behind the Indus OS. However, Huawei isn’t the first company to seek help from the company. Samsung uses the Indus App Bazaar for its Galaxy Store. Last year, Samsung invested $5.75 million for a 20% stake in the company. So, we still need to see how it is going to affect the deal that Huawei is trying to seal.
Also, read about Huawei’s deal with TomTom
What is Huawei actually eyeing for?
The move may sound confusing to many as it comes just after Huawei launched its Huawei Mobile Services and AppGallery in Europe. To understand the move we need to pay a closer look at Huawei’s stats from last year. Though Huawei managed to hold on to the position of the second biggest smartphone brand in the world, the shipments outside of China in 2019 showed some signs of concern for the brand. Out of the total shipments, only 40% were outside of China.
What it means is Huawei, which is growing the local market, is losing its share in the international market. And getting a grip of the Indian market which is among the biggest smartphone market in the world, seems to be its next move. If you hadn’t noticed, brands these days are focused on conquering the world. Don’t believe me? Spinning off brands like Realme, iQOO, and POCO as independent brands for India should mean something.
As it turns out, Huawei is trying to lure Indian users by making apps in the local language available in its phone whereas it will be pushing its App gallery in the European market.
So is the deal official?
Not really. Both Huawei and Indus OS have been silent on this matter. A report from The Economic Times claims that the recent coronavirus outbreak is delaying the global partnership deal. However, the report seems confident about the deal and further claims that the two parties will eventually agree on a global partnership deal.
Also, check out our review of the JBL Pulse 4!
