If you own a cellphone, and it's not made by Apple, chances are it's running Android. But one of the big Chinese manufacturers could suddenly find itself cut off from the main parts of the world's most-used mobile operating system. The trade dispute is highlighting just how much Chinese tech relies on American software. CGTN's Phil Lavelle explains from Los Angeles.

He's the little green guy in billions of pockets. The brains behind these things. But there could be a breakup on the way. This relationship's complicated. Android is the operating system running most of the world's smartphones.

KAYCEA CAMPBELL ECONOMICS PROFESSOR, PIERCE COLLEGE "Over 90% of the market share or 90% of companies actually using that system."

And we could be about to see how much China really relies on it. Companies from Samsung to Sony use Android. It's open source - anyone can license it,  which includes the big Chinese manufacturers. But Android's a Google product. Remember. Google's American. And therein lies a problem.

KAYCEA CAMPBELL ECONOMICS PROFESSOR, PIERCE COLLEGE "With Android gone, these companies are pretty much shuttered."

Companies like ZTE - recently banned from purchasing American components for seven years. Huawei likely to feel nervous too effectively blacklisted by carriers in the U.S. due to security fears from the government.

JUAN CARLOS BAGNELL TECH REVIEWER ON SOMEGADGETGUY "I think this is going to be a death knell for any gadget manufacturer that relies on Google."

PHIL LAVELLE LOS ANGELES "The problem is there very few alternatives. Windows phone Microsoft gave up on that last year. Blackberry doesn't have an OS anymore. It uses Android. Same for Nokia. In fact, the only other major OS is iOS which is what you get on iPads and iPhones. But that belongs to Apple and Apple doesn't let anyone else use that. But Apple does not show that with anybody.

JUAN CARLOS BAGNELL TECH, REVIEWER ON SOMEGADGETGUY"Any Chinese manufacturer that is stuck in this situation will likely still have access to the main Android kernel. That's open source.. so that's now a product of the entire planet.." PHIL: "The kernel is what Like the baseline code " JC: "Yeah that baseline, core of what Android is. But it's all of the periphery. It's all of the other apps.. and services.. the Google direct services that a lot of consumers rely on.. they're going to be denied that and that's what really kills the Android experience. "

PHIL: "It shows just how much Chinese kind of technology industry is still very reliant on the American technology industry."

KAYCEA CAMPBELL ECONOMICS PROFESSOR, PIERCE COLLEGE "Exactly, I think people tend to think.. when they think of China, they think of this big bad wolf independently doing things but at the end of the day, they're using component parts, they're using a lot of different things that come from the United States. And if anything, this, makes it very clear that without that, these particular companies cease to exist."

It's rumored that Huawei is developing its own operating system - purely as a backup. It may soon be needed.

PHIL LAVELLE LOS ANGELES "COULD come from the world's largest cellphone maker, Samsung. See, while Samsung uses Android for its main devices, it's also been developing its own backup OS for years. It's called Tizen. It's been released on a handful of smaller devices, but nobody's really taken much notice. Could now be it's chance to shine."

JUAN CARLOS BAGNELL TECH REVIEWER ON SOMEGADGETGUY "I don't think that software is going to be a huge player for the actual smartphone but it helps a lot with watches and other accessories."

And so, companies like ZTE potentially facing a nightmare situation. Hoping they won't be cut off from the very ingredient that makes the smartphone a SMART phone. Phil Lavelle, CGTN, Los Angeles.