huawei officially launches harmonyos for smartphones
A New Era of Interconnectivity: Introducing Huawei’s HarmonyOS
Do you believe you reside in a world already defined by seamless connectivity? Huawei’s independently developed HarmonyOS aims to eradicate latency and fragmentation in the user experience, facilitating fluid transitions between devices, irrespective of their underlying operating systems.
Origins and Development
The unveiling of Huawei’s alternative smartphone operating system occurred two years following the imposition of U.S. export restrictions, which prevented the Chinese technology firm from accessing crucial U.S. technologies, including essential chipsets and Android developer services provided by Google.
On Wednesday, Huawei formally launched HarmonyOS for mobile phones. Development of this operating system commenced in 2016, and developers were granted access to create HarmonyOS-compatible applications for tablets, electric vehicles, and smartwatches as early as last September.
Flagship devices, such as the Mate 40 series, were eligible for upgrades to HarmonyOS beginning Wednesday, with a phased rollout planned for lower-tier models in subsequent quarters.
Beyond a Simple Replacement
Huawei clarified that HarmonyOS isn’t intended as a direct substitute for Android or iOS. Instead, its scope is considerably broader, extending to power a growing array of smart devices.
Consequently, Huawei has been actively seeking to engage hardware and appliance manufacturers to integrate into its expanding ecosystem.
Currently, over 500,000 developers are actively constructing applications utilizing the HarmonyOS platform. However, it remains uncertain whether major Western applications like Google’s and Facebook’s will be adapted for HarmonyOS.
Industry Response
Several Chinese technology companies have expressed interest. Smartphone manufacturer Meizu indicated on its Weibo account the potential adoption of HarmonyOS for its smart devices.
Larger competitors, including Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi, are likely more hesitant to embrace an operating system developed by a rival.
A Unified Device Experience
Huawei envisions a future where all HarmonyOS-powered devices are integrated into a single, unified control panel. This would enable features like remote pairing of Bluetooth connections between headphones and televisions.
Gameplay could transition seamlessly from a smartphone to a tablet. Even a smart soymilk maker could personalize beverage preparation based on health data collected from a user’s smartwatch.
Interoperability with Existing Systems
Devices not natively running HarmonyOS can still interact with Huawei devices through a simple plug-in. For example, photographs from a Windows laptop can be directly saved to a Huawei phone with the HarmonyOS plug-in installed.
This raises the possibility of future communication between Android, iOS, and HarmonyOS via a standardized protocol.
Competition and Future Outlook
The launch of HarmonyOS preceded Apple’s annual developer conference by just days. Recent Apple job postings have alluded to a new concept, “homeOS,” potentially related to Apple’s smart home strategy, as reported by MacRumors.
Huawei has refuted claims that HarmonyOS is derived from Android, asserting that no code is identical. However, Wang Chenglu, president of Huawei’s Consumer Business Group software department, previously acknowledged the use of open-source code from AOSP. A Huawei spokesperson declined to confirm whether the operating system is based on Linux, the kernel underpinning Android.
Challenges and Opportunities
Numerous tech companies have attempted to introduce their own mobile operating systems, with limited success. Alibaba’s AliOS, based on Linux, is no longer actively updated. Samsung’s Tizen is now primarily confined to powering a select range of Internet of Things devices, such as smart televisions.
Huawei may be better positioned to attract developer support than its predecessors. Despite facing challenges due to U.S. restrictions on chip supplies, it remains a significant smartphone brand in China.
HarmonyOS also presents an opportunity to appeal to developers dissatisfied with the Android ecosystem, provided Huawei can effectively address their requirements.
Navigating U.S. Sanctions
U.S. sanctions do not prohibit Huawei from utilizing Android’s open-source software, which is commonly used by Chinese smartphone manufacturers to create customized Android versions.
However, the restrictions effectively severed Huawei’s access to Google Play services for its devices sold outside of China.
This article has been updated to provide further clarification regarding HarmonyOS.