Huawei has a lot of hardships. It was no easy task for the Chinese brand to enter a market dominated by American brands. However, its latest operating system, HarmonyOS Next could be its answer to iOS and Android.
This homegrown operating system was launched five years ago and was first introduced into a smartphone. It will then gain speed in a really competitive mobile ecosystem for China.
Huawei Teased the Latest Smartphone OS, HarmonyOS Next
Since it was launched to developers earlier this year, the HarmonyOS Next has already reached several flagship Huawei devices, including the Mate 60 series, the Mate X5 foldable smartphone, and the MatePad Pro 13.2 tablet. According to the SCMP, it is a major pivot in the strategy at Huawei as it further steps away from Android—a move that now brings it to end all ties with the U.S.-based ecosystem.
HarmonyOS Next is a completely independent operating system that can survive without any form of Android support, thereby further emphasizing the chasm between China's tech landscape and the rest of the world.
Read More: Microsoft Strikes Back After Google Antitrust Ruling, Bringing Xbox Game Purchases to Mobile
Leader in Alternatives to Both Android and iOS
HarmonyOS Next is out to be one of the serious challengers to Android and iOS, supported by some of China's leading app developers, including Baidu and Tencent Holdings.
The smartphone maker has managed to come on board these tech goliaths to give it an ecosystem that already boasts over 10,000 applications and native services designed exclusively for HarmonyOS Next. This assures it to be one of the most viable alternatives to the competition in its bid to take over China's local smartphone market soon.
Rapid Growth in China's Smartphone Market
And it's paying off for Huawei. HarmonyOS, the new OS that the Chinese smartphone maker created, has become 17 percent of China's smartphone market share in Q1-2024, leapfrogging Android with a 68 percent market share and Apple's iOS at 16 percent share, according to Phone Arena.
In fact, HarmonyOS doubled its market presence in the same quarter last year, so it could well dig into Google's Android share in the country in the near future.
According to the chairman of Huawei's consumer business group, Richard Yu Chengdong, the company has "covered the path of over a decade of foreign operating system ecosystem development in just one year." This progress shows how Huawei can be in the global arena like Google and Apple have been during most of their histories, especially in their homeland.
Future of Huawei with HarmonyOS
The launch of HarmonyOS Next is a turning point not only for Huawei but also for China's own battle for independence in tech. As more and more devices start to adopt the OS, it will command a large majority of the mobile market.
In fact, the next major release from Huawei, namely the Mate 70, is expected out in the Q4 2024 and will ship with HarmonyOS Next right out of the box. This flagship device with high expectations will increase the adoption of HarmonyOS and help Huawei gain more heights in the future years.
