Huawei announces new OS for phones and devices
Huawei says that the HarmonyOS is suitable for use for smartphones, tablets, smart-speakers and even a variety of IoT devices. Tough it has long been known that Huawei has been developing an in-house OS, this announcement sends a signal that Huawei is preparing to control its own destiny and is prepared in the event that US-China tensions result in Huawei being denied access to further developments in Android.
Based on a modularised concept, HarmonyOS can be nested and adapted flexibly to any device to create a seamless cross-device experience. A distributed capability kit allows developers to build the foundation of a shared developer ecosystem. Claiming a world first, HarmonyOS will have a verified TEE (Trusted Execution Environment), significantly improving connected security across multiple smart devices in a connected all-scenario world.
Currently, Huawei phones ship with Android installed. HarmonyOS is a compact, microkernel-based OS that will first be targeted at smart devices like smart watches, smart screens, in-vehicle systems, and smart speakers. However, smartphone installs are expected in the short term.
A key issue facing Huawei is that HarmonyOS does not have the sheer number of apps that Android and IoS boast. Seeding the apps available for the new OS and getting developers on-board to create a rival ecosystem to Android and iOS is the most likely step before HarmonyOS is rolled out to smartphones. Even though HarmonyOS will be able to run Android apps, a homegrown ecosystem will drive market share and ease-of-use, and enable apps to benefit from the from the underlying technoloy advancements in the new OS.
Huawei has taken this step to protect its market as losing access to Android would most likely cripple the company as it is totally reliant on Android for all its devices, until now. This crucial step will assure customers that Huawei is prepared for this eventuality. Further, HarmonyOS could potentially become a significant rival to Android.
US-China tensions are still a big factor on the hardware side with the restrictions selling crucial smartphone chips to Huawei in place. Such restrictions are forcing Huawei to become more like Apple and bring its capabilities in-house, especially those that are reliant on US technology. Before US-restrictions it was projected that Huawei would become the top smartphone manufacturer at the end of this year or early next year. However, with key advances in its capabilities, the road to top smartphone manufacturer for Huawei is still a possinbility, albeit delayed a year or two.
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