The return of Donald Trump to the White House is reigniting the economic tension between the United States and China—and this time, Chinese smartphone manufacturers do not intend to be caught unprepared. According to new reports, companies such as Huawei, Xiaomi, and the BBK Group (which includes Oppo, vivo, OnePlus, and realme) have begun to examine a strategic option: Developing an independent version of Android that does not rely on Google services.
This move is reminiscent of Huawei’s response to American sanctions during Trump’s previous term, when U.S. companies were banned from collaborating with it. Huawei was removed from Google’s app store and was forced to develop an independent operating system—HarmonyOS—and to forgo compatibility with Android apps. Now, as it appears that a Trump administration may once again tighten restrictions, its Chinese competitors are also considering a backup plan.
According to reports, Xiaomi, Huawei, and manufacturers from the BBK Group are holding preliminary discussions about creating a customized Android system, independent of Google. It is still unclear whether this involves close cooperation between the companies or each acting independently, but one thing is clear: The trend is evident—preparing for a future in which access to American services is not guaranteed.
The big open question is how far the companies will follow in Huawei’s footsteps—which completely removed support for Android apps and began building an independent ecosystem with replacements such as Petal Maps and Ark Compiler. Will Xiaomi and its partners adopt a similar approach?
According to data from the first quarter of 2025, the four manufacturers—Xiaomi, Huawei, Oppo, and vivo—are responsible for two-thirds of all smartphone shipments in China. Xiaomi leads the market, followed by Huawei, with Oppo and vivo in third and fourth place, respectively. On the global stage, Xiaomi, Oppo, and vivo are all ranked among the five largest companies.
A shift to an operating system without Google by such dominant manufacturers could bring about a dramatic change in the smartphone market—not only in China, but also in Europe, India, and other markets where they operate on a large scale.