This archive report was first published on 16 August 2019.
August 16, 2019, marked a significant development in the tech world as Huawei announced its plans to unveil Map Kit, a potential alternative to Google Maps. This move comes on the heels of the company's unveiling of HarmonyOS, a potential Android replacement.
According to a report by China Daily, Map Kit will connect to local mapping services covering 150 countries and regions, supporting 40 different languages. The service will also feature real-time traffic conditions, sophisticated navigation capabilities, and augmented reality mapping.
Notably, Yandex and Booking Holdings, the parent company of Booking.com, have already expressed interest in partnering with Huawei for Map Kit. This collaboration is seen as a significant step towards the development of a robust and reliable mapping service.
Huawei's decision to develop its own mapping service is largely driven by the company's need to reduce its reliance on Google and its services. The US government's ban on Huawei in May had threatened the company's access to Google's services, including the Android OS. Although the ban has been eased, Huawei is still looking for ways to decrease its dependence on Google.
Map Kit is seen as a direct response to these circumstances, and its unveiling in October is expected to be a significant milestone in the development of a Google Maps alternative.
