Huawei Technologies is setting its sights on transforming the mobile operating system landscape in mainland China with its upcoming HarmonyOS Next, aiming to end the reliance on Western platforms by discontinuing support for Android apps. Announced by Richard Yu Chengdong, chairman of Huawei’s consumer business group, during the company’s recent developer conference, HarmonyOS Next is touted as a fully “China-originated, independent and controllable” system.
HarmonyOS NEXT trailer from HDC, well done!
Some interesting notes from the trailer show a sharing feature when putting two devices in front of each other. Another is the AppGallery logo is now different. pic.twitter.com/Nzx1AAlJtu
— Blake (@TheSecreteOne) June 21, 2024
This next iteration of HarmonyOS was introduced to developers in a beta version at the conference, with a consumer beta expected in August. The official launch is scheduled for the fourth quarter of this year alongside Huawei’s next flagship 5G smartphone series, the Mate 70.
Huawei’s strategic push with HarmonyOS comes at a crucial time, having recently overtaken Apple’s iOS to become the second-largest mobile operating system in China as of the first quarter. The development of HarmonyOS, initiated in response to U.S. trade restrictions imposed in May 2019, represents Huawei’s ambitious endeavor to replicate the evolutionary path of established Western operating systems in a fraction of the time.
Notably, HarmonyOS has reportedly surpassed the performance of the Linux kernel—which underpins Android—by 10 percent. This enhancement highlights Huawei’s focus on refining the technological capabilities of its system. The platform’s growth is underscored by its adoption across more than 900 million devices, supported by over 2.5 million developers actively creating applications for HarmonyOS.
HarmonyOS NEXT looks super interesting and NEXT level smooth #harmonyos #next pic.twitter.com/LH1wj4H6is
— XeVier (@XeVierTech) June 22, 2024
The rising trajectory of HarmonyOS is further evidenced by the success of Huawei’s latest smartphone releases. The Pura 70 series, launched in late April, experienced a 68 percent increase in shipments by the end of May compared to last year’s P series over the same period. Additionally, both the Pura 70 and the previously released Mate 60 series have collectively seen a 72 percent surge in shipments within the first five months of the year.
Currently, Huawei holds a significant position in China’s competitive smartphone market, ranking fourth with a 15.5 percent share and demonstrating a sales growth of nearly 70 percent, as reported by Counterpoint Research.
FIX! IT IS TRUE, HARMONYOS NEXT (OS MADE BY HUAWEI) DOES NOT SUPPORT ANDROID APK.
Really competes directly with Android & iOS, I love competition 🔥😁
Source: WHYLAB @TECHINFOSOCIALS @Sudhanshu1414 @SujanTharu66 @TechKard @LivingInHM pic.twitter.com/eUmUwvzdAn
— RAIHAN HAN (@raihanhan121) June 22, 2024
In 2024, enhancing the app ecosystem for HarmonyOS is designated as a key objective for Huawei, according to Eric Xu Zhijun, the company’s rotating chairman. To achieve this, Huawei has forged partnerships with major Chinese enterprises, including Alibaba Group Holding, Meituan, Ant Group, JD.com, and McDonald’s China, for the development of HarmonyOS-based applications.
Major Points:
- Huawei Technologies is launching HarmonyOS Next, a new mobile operating system aimed at ending reliance on Western systems like Android in mainland China.
- HarmonyOS Next, described as fully independent and China-originated, will be launched alongside Huawei’s Mate 70 smartphone series in the fourth quarter.
- The platform has already surpassed Apple’s iOS to become the second-largest mobile operating system in China.
- HarmonyOS boasts over 900 million devices and 2.5 million developers, with a reported 10% performance improvement over the Linux kernel.
- Huawei is partnering with major Chinese corporations like Alibaba and JD.com to expand the HarmonyOS app ecosystem as part of its strategic focus for 2024.
Lap Fu Ip – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News
