Huawei Partners with TomTom to Offer Mapping Services as Google Maps Alternative
Key Takeaways
- Huawei teams up with TomTom to embed maps, traffic data, and navigation in its apps
- This move supports Huawei's Google-free strategy amid ongoing US trade bans
- Harmony OS remains a backup plan for IoT and potential future smartphone use
The US trade ban imposed on Huawei in 2019 remains a major talking point, and the company’s next steps toward a Google-independent future continue to attract attention. While progress on its Harmony OS continues, Huawei is focused on replacing Google Mobile Services with its own Huawei Mobile Services (HMS). A recent and significant development in this effort is Huawei’s partnership with TomTom.
TomTom announced that it has finalized an agreement with Huawei to supply mapping, traffic information, and navigation software for use in Huawei smartphone applications. Because TomTom is headquartered in the Netherlands, this collaboration is not impacted by the ongoing trade restrictions. Although the exact terms of the deal have not been disclosed, TomTom confirmed that the agreement was reached earlier but was kept private until now.
For Huawei, this partnership is a critical piece of its strategy to replace Google Play Services. In addition to launching its AppGallery as an alternative to the Google Play Store, Huawei is building HMS and HMS Core to offer essential mobile services. Integrating TomTom’s mapping capabilities helps Huawei reduce dependency on Google’s mapping tools and strengthens its ability to deliver a complete Android experience without Google’s direct involvement.
Despite these efforts, Huawei has not abandoned Android. The company still utilizes the open-source Android operating system because competing directly with Android in the smartphone market would be challenging. Harmony OS, which Huawei has been developing since 2012, was originally intended for Internet of Things devices and was only later adapted to work across multiple platforms. It was presented as a solution for "Smart Screen Products" rather than as a full Android replacement.
Huawei has stated that Harmony OS will not immediately replace Android on its smartphones. However, if future restrictions prevent Huawei from using Android, Harmony OS could become the basis for its mobile devices. Even without such restrictions, Huawei may still include Harmony OS on some devices to demonstrate its capabilities, although doing so would require substantial development effort and widespread support from developers to make the transition from Android feasible.
