Huawei has introduced HarmonyOS NEXT, its self-developed mobile operating system and the first originating in China, along with new products including the nova 13 series smartphones, WATCH Ultimate Green Edition, and MatePad Pro 12.2-inch Golden Collection Edition.
The HarmonyOS ecosystem is now used by over one billion devices, Yu Chengdong, Chairman of Huawei’s Consumer BG, announced at the launch.
Why it matters: HarmonyOS NEXT has become the third most used mobile operating system in the world, after Android and iOS. This progress represents a significant achievement for China’s tech industry, reducing reliance on foreign operating systems for the nation’s smartphone users.
Details: HarmonyOS NEXT (HarmonyOS 5.0) is the largest upgrade to the HarmonyOS system since its debut in 2019. The number of native HarmonyOS applications and meta services now exceeds 15,000, according to Huawei.
- Yu stated that HarmonyOS NEXT has achieved full-stack self-development, including an OS kernel, file system, programming languages, compilers, programming frameworks, AI frameworks, and large models. This breakthrough in core operating system technology and autonomous control is the biggest difference between HarmonyOS NEXT and previous versions, he said.
- Currently, the phone models compatible with HarmonyOS NEXT include the Huawei Pura 70 series, Huawei Pocket 2 series, and the Huawei MatePad Pro 11-inch. Users can apply for a system upgrade on the Huawei app.
- The upcoming Mate70 series flagship phones will be the first to launch with the native HarmonyOS NEXT. However, the Mate70 series may feature a dual-framework system, supporting both HarmonyOS NEXT and an earlier HarmonyOS compatible with Android, industry analysis has predicted.