After announcing it HarmonyOS, an alternative to Android, the Chinese company has announced plans to unveil its own maps service that would be an alternative to Google Maps.
The mapping service however is ‘not directly for consumer use’ but according to China Daily the service is being positioned as a tool for developers.
The Huawei Map Kit will include real-time traffic conditions, lane change recognition, and augmented reality features. There are already reports that Russian web giant Yandex and travel aggregator firm Booking Holdings (Booking.com, Kayak) have teamed up with Huawei for the service.
The Chinese tech giant has in recent months come under heavy criticism from the US and a trade ban that has led to it being barred from trading with the US companies and most recently banned from Government contacts. On the other hand the company has been in recent years working on alternatives to platforms that heed the Trump administration ban.
The Chinese firm seems to be preparing itself for survival as it could be blocked from using Google Maps on the new Android phones and more so in case they are slapped with a permanent ban and may also face difficulties in using the Google Maps on its HarmonyOS. Map Kit then would suffice as an alternative option for the company.
Map Kit will also work with other third party applications that rely on mapping services such as; WhatsApp, allowing developers to swap out Google Maps data for the manufacturer’s data.
The mapping service which will be officially unveiled in October is said to be available in 40 languages and tipped to launch in October.
Source: Android Authority
