Huawei has launched HarmonyOS on its Huawei Mate 40 and Huawei Mate X2 smartphones, in addition to the Watch Series 3 smartwatch and MatePad Pro tablet.
The move comes as the Chinese tech giant seeks to stop relying on American technology and could pit it against Apple and Google software.
HarmonyOS was originally launched in 2019 after the United States blacklisted Huawei, cutting off access to Google’s Android operating system. That measure, along with new sanctions that restrict Huawei’s access to critical semiconductors, paralyzed its smartphone business just a few months after it became the world’s number one player, as the company decided to launch its own operating systems. and seeks with this to recover its market, something not easy to do.
“Huawei looks forward to following Apple’s lead by having a single software platform that extends in all directions, providing a seamless experience for customers who purchase its product ecosystem,” Ben Wood, CCS chief analyst, told CNBC. Insight.
Huawei aims to have HarmonyOS on 200 million smartphones and 100 million third-party smart devices by the end of the year, said Wang Chenglu, president of the software department of Huawei Consumer Business Group, in addition to seeking to regain its position in the smartphone market. , where according to Counterpoint, it is now in the sixth market place.
“The problem with existing operating systems is that devices cannot connect easily and users often have to download separate applications for things to connect. But HarmonyOS can allow devices to connect to form a super device.” Wang told Reuters.
Although the mission may refer to other attempts that have been made in the past, such as Windows Phone, one of the keys that Huawei has is the market it has in Asia.
According to IDC analyst Will Wong, it is not essential for Huawei that other smartphone manufacturers adopt HarmonyOS.
“(But) for Huawei to achieve its ambition, it will be important for other electronics brands and even automakers to join the operating system, and China provides a favorable market ecosystem to achieve this,” Wong said.
While HarmonyOS could be successful in Huawei’s home market in China, it may face challenges in international markets.
Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS dominate the market for mobile operating systems. And in smartwatches, Apple has its WatchOS, while Google last month released a revamped version of its Wear operating system. The two giants have also focused on software for in-car entertainment and have sought that their developers have technical tools to develop apps.
