Huawei Makes Google Maps Competitor Map Application, Launched in October

TEKNOKU.meĀ – After making an alternative operating system for Android, Huawei also helped imitate other applications owned by Google. This time, Huawei designed a digital map similar to Google Maps which will be released next October.

The digital map application called “Map Kit” also has the ability to describe the area in detail. The difference, Map Kit will not be available directly to consumers.

According to internal sources, the Map Kit is designed for developers to be able to make certain applications that utilize the map’s capabilities.

Interestingly, this service was developed by Huawei in collaboration with two companies from countries that often clashed, namely Russia and the United States. Map Kit was developed in partnership with Yandex, a Russian company and in cooperation with Booking Holdings, a special travel site from the United States.

Map Kit will be connected to the local mapping service and is available in 40 languages. The Map Kit will also reach at least 150 countries and regions. In the process of mapping the Map Kit application, Huawei will utilize mobile signal transmitter networks (BTS) in several countries to determine the satellite’s position in its mapping.

Features similar to Google Maps

Map Kit is also equipped with a number of features that are similar to those of Google Maps. This digital map will provide information on traffic conditions in real-time, navigation systems, to support maps based on Augmented Reality (AR).

Map Kit will come with a series of other applications developed by Huawei, such as the Site Kit, Location Kit, and Drive Kit. However, Huawei itself does not explain whether this application will be present in the entire operating system or not.

Previously, Huawei has also created an alternative Android operating system. The operating system named Hongmeng or Harmony was created in view of the still-hot relationship between Huawei and the United States.

Some time ago, the name Huawei entered in the list of entity lists issued by the US government.

Companies included in the list are not permitted to buy products in any form, both hardware, and software, from US companies, without prior government permission.

As a result, Huawei was threatened with losing the Android operating system license which incidentally is a product of Google-a company from the United States. Google services, such as Google Maps and Gmail, are also threatened not to be present on Huawei phones.

Not surprisingly, then Huawei also “mimic” a series of other applications that exist on Android, such as this Map Kit. This could be a step in anticipation of Huawei if later the Chinese company was again boycotted by the US.