Xiaomi HyperOS 3 to operate without Google services due to US trade war

Just a few years ago, Huawei was forced to almost completely abandon Android due to heavy US sanctions. While the first version of HarmonyOS was based on the Android Open Source Project, Huawei says HarmonyOS Next is not based on Android at all. According to a report by Xiaomi Time, Xiaomi is now planning similar steps and is said to be receiving support from Huawei and former BBK brands, namely Oppo, Vivo, and OnePlus.

At least one version of Xiaomi HyperOS 3 will do without Google services. What exactly this will look like is unclear, but the aim is likely to be an operating system based on the freely available open source version of Android, similar to the original Huawei HarmonyOS. This means that Xiaomi would not be dependent on cooperation with US company Google, which could be disrupted or terminated as part of the current trade war between the US and China. This may happen if, for example, the US government prohibits cooperation and imposes sanctions against Xiaomi or Chinese smartphone manufacturers in general.

The basics of this operating system will also be made available to other Chinese smartphone manufacturers, allowing them to more easily free themselves from dependence on US software. Similar to Huawei, however, such a drastic step would likely result in smartphones from Xiaomi, OnePlus and other manufacturers being far less competitive internationally since the devices would then have to do without the Google Play Store and thus access to millions of apps. For this reason, the Google-free version of HyperOS 3 is currently being developed solely as a strategic backup.

Update May 16, 2025: Xiaomi has informed Notebookcheck that it currently has no plans to discontinue the integration of Google services into Xiaomi products. Its statement reads:

We would like to clarify that there are currently no plans to discontinue the integration of Google services into Xiaomi products. Google is an important and valued partner of ours. We will continue to maintain this mutually beneficial relationship.