Huawei on why it won't use Tizen: It has 'no chance to be successful'

Tizen
It's Android or nothing

Samsung's self-made Tizen operating system for smartphones isn't looking too hot with repeated delays, and now at least one phone maker is just saying "no" to the OS.

Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei's consumer business group, called Tizen a hopeless platform with "no chance to be successful" in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. He said the company has "no plans to use Tizen," as if that wasn't clear.

Yu also explained it's difficult even for the Chinese company to turn a profit with Windows Phone products. The Huawei executive said it's hard to market devices running Microsoft's OS, and noted the company lost money trying to push Windows handsets during the course of two years.

Huawei, once one of Tizen's original supporters, now joins the growing group of phone manufacturers and networks turning away from Samsung's platform.

Yet despite the deserters and Huawei's harsh words, there are still a number of companies - including Intel, LG and Vodafone - holding out hope that the Android-alternative will release one day.

Android armada

The biggest problem Tizen faces is the fact that there aren't enough apps on the platform compared to the extensive software libraries developed for Android and iOS. Previously, Yu has also explained why Firefox's mobile OS may not be everything it's cracked up to be.

It's for these same reasons Yu said Huawei isn't developing its own mobile operating system. With this in mind it seems the mobile world will continue to be split between Android and iOS while Windows Phone perpetually sits on the sidelines.

Not that Yu is completely satisfied with this set-up.

"We have worries about Android being the only option, but we have no choice," he remarked. "And we have a good collaboration with Google."

Kevin Lee

Kevin Lee was a former computing reporter at TechRadar. Kevin is now the SEO Updates Editor at IGN based in New York. He handles all of the best of tech buying guides while also dipping his hand in the entertainment and games evergreen content. Kevin has over eight years of experience in the tech and games publications with previous bylines at Polygon, PC World, and more. Outside of work, Kevin is major movie buff of cult and bad films. He also regularly plays flight & space sim and racing games. IRL he's a fan of archery, axe throwing, and board games.