In May 2019, the United States barred Huawei from using any services within its supply chain, effectively ending Huawei’s collaboration with tech giant Google. This forced Huawei to either use an open-source version of Android or develop its own operating system. Shortly afterward, Huawei announced it was working on its proprietary OS.
By August 9, 2019, Huawei introduced the initial version of its HarmonyOS, stating that it would replace Android on Huawei smartphones and other mobile devices. On October 8 this year, the public beta of HarmonyOS Next was released, followed by its official launch on October 22. The new version has already been made available on several Huawei devices, with plans to expand to more devices next year.
Huawei’s objective with HarmonyOS is to establish it as the world’s third-largest mobile operating system, positioning it right behind Android and iOS. To compete, HarmonyOS Next includes several AI-powered features, such as a lock screen resembling that of iOS and customizable widgets that adapt to the phone’s wallpaper.
According to Richard Yu, Chairman of Huawei Consumer Business Group, the HarmonyOS Next ecosystem now hosts over 15,000 apps and services, a number that continues to grow. He also noted that over one billion devices globally are now running HarmonyOS, marking a significant expansion for Huawei’s ambitious platform.