When the drama between Huawei and the US government hit a high, there seemed to be a safety net for the China-based company due to the reported development of an in-house operating system. What we’re learning now, though, is that its Hongmeng OS is not designed to replace Android at all.

Instead, the OS was initially developed for IoT devices, not made to run all of the world’s applications and perform other tasks. This new information contradicts what Huawei’s CEO of consumer business, Richard Yu, said earlier this year. He said the OS had been in development for years and that it would be, “compatible with all Android applications and web applications.”

Huawei’s CEO Ren Zhengfei recently told a French publication that, “HongMeng is not designed for phones as everyone thinks. We didn’t develop the OS to replace Google and if Google does withdraw its OS from Huawei, we will need to start building an ecosystem because we don’t have a clear plan yet.”

So not only is its in-house OS not designed to replace Android, but it appears that Huawei doesn’t even have a plan should the worst case scenario decide to rear its ugly head. That’s a tough spot to be in.

// Forbes | Le Point