Huawei is preparing to launch its long-awaited mobile operating system, HarmonyOS Next, on Tuesday. The new system is being promoted as an alternative to Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android as Huawei works to establish China’s mobile ecosystem in response to continued US sanctions.
On Tuesday, HarmonyOS Next will be available on several Huawei devices, including the Mate 60 series, the foldable Mate X5 smartphone, and the 13.2-inch MatePad Pro tablet. Huawei presents this system as a completely independent work and is not compatible with Android-based applications. In China, it’s called the “pure-blooded” version of HarmonyOS.
HarmonyOS Next: A new chapter for mobile platforms
HarmonyOS Next has been available to Chinese developers since January, and Huawei sees it as a new start. Richard Yu Chendong, chairman of Huawei’s consumer business group, described it at an event in Shanghai last month as “a new life for growth.” Yu highlighted how the company compressed 10 years of overseas operating system development into one year.
In preparation for the launch, Huawei is rallying Chinese app developers to support the new operating system. Last month, the company hosted a ceremony it called a “swearing-in ceremony” to drum up support. This is detailed in a September 26 blog post on Huawei’s website. The event was attended by many prominent Chinese technology companies, including Baidu, JD.com, Meituan, and Tencent. Huawei also noted that more than 10,000 applications and services have been developed exclusively for HarmonyOS Next.
Huawei Vice Chairman Eric Shu Zhijun said at the event that Huawei can only truly succeed through its ecosystem. He wanted governments, businesses, and institutions to develop native HarmonyOS versions for their applications.
Huawei’s operating system journey under US sanctions
HarmonyOS was first launched in August 2019 as an Android replacement following the US government’s decision to add Huawei to its trade blacklist. The move prevents the Shenzhen-based company from purchasing U.S.-originated technology without approval from the U.S. government. Since then, Huawei has been working on building its mobile platform, and HarmonyOS gained momentum last year with the release of Huawei’s Mate 60 series smartphones, which marked the company’s return to the 5G device market.
According to a June report from Counterpoint, HarmonyOS achieved a 17% market share in China’s smartphone market in the first quarter of this year. This doubled its market share compared to the same period last year, enabling it to overtake Apple’s iOS and become China’s second-largest mobile OS. Android continued to dominate with 68% market share, while iOS dropped slightly to 16%.
The upcoming release of HarmonyOS Next comes just days after Meng Wanzhou, the daughter of Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei, returned to a leadership role as part of the company’s rotating chair program. Meng, 52, who is also Huawei’s chief financial officer, will oversee the launch of Huawei’s next 5G flagship series, the Mate 70, which is expected to be released later this year.
