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Google’s Fuchsia OS is being tested on the HONOR Play
July 06, 2025
We’ve known for quite some time now that Google is working on a new platform calledFuchsia OS. Now, it turns out thatHuaweiis using theHONOR Playas a test device for the operating system.
9to5Googlespotted a new commit to the project this week, made by a HUAWEI engineer. This isn’t unusual, because HUAWEI engineers have reportedly been making commits to the project in the past year.
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What sparks our interest, however, is that the latest commit specifically mentions support for theKirin 970chipset. Furthermore, the commit adds thatZircon(Fuchsia’s core platform) was tested on the HONOR Play.
This is a pretty big deal, the website notes, because it’s the first consumer device tested with Fuchsia. Additionally, it also marks the first significant contribution to the project from outside Google.
The HONOR Play might be the most affordable Kirin 970 device around, but the chipset also powers a slew of other handsets. These include theP20series, theMate 10series, theHONOR 10,HONOR View 10, and theNova 3.
This doesn’t necessarily mean you should rush out to get a Kirin 970 smartphone so you can unofficially run Fuchsia OS. After all, HUAWEI shut down itsbootloader unlock serviceearlier this year. Still, history tells us thatFuchsia can be installedon consumer devices, so those with unlocked Kirin 970 phones might be able to install it down the line.
Nevertheless, it would be a fun move if HUAWEI offered an enthusiast program to try out the platform once it’s reached a more mature state. It wouldn’t be the first time we saw something like this either, asXiaomiandMicrosoftpreviously allowedMi 4 owners to flash Windows 10 Mobile.
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