Huawei began building the OS in 2012, after the US banned Chinese telecom equipment maker ZTE from using American products and services. This was reportedly seen as a way to prepare for "worst-case scenarios." Now, with Huawei suing the US government and the US saying it might punish Germany if the country works with Huawei on its 5G networks, those worst-case scenarios might not be too far-fetched.

At the moment, this doesn't change much. Android and Windows are still the company's first-choice. "We fully support our partners' operating systems -- we love them and our customers love them," a company spokesperson told South China Morning Post. Still, given the state of the US-Huawei relationship, this contingency plan could be significant.