Huawei released its first domestic operating system, HarmonyOS NEXT built independent of Android architecture and Linux kernel on Tuesday in Shenzhen, China. Huawei has been banned from doing business with US firms that are major Android producers since 2019. The launch of the new Android independent operating system shows the company’s perseverance and determination to withstand every adverse condition.
Huawei released its first self-built Android independent architecture, HarmonyOS NEXT, marking the world’s third major mobile operating system. The new operating system is fully independent and can be integrated with all Huawei enterprises to develop without being restricted by other benchmarks.
The new powerful OS has the potential to intensify the present and future generations of Huawei devices. Though a global release was expected, the OS will only be accessible to Chinese users now. The new HarmonyOS NEXT is based on the OpenHarmony open-source core. It integrates with Huawei Mobile Services to support apps through the Huawei Ark compiler.
The HarmonyOS NEXT adopts a new form different from other generations, with customization of a lock screen and home screen, a redesigned control center, swift animations, and increased app launch speed in addition to an impressive AI feature based on the Pangu large language model.
The self-developed core of Huawei HarmonyOS NEXT eliminates the dependence on Android. HarmonyOS has been installed in over 1 billion devices and HarmonyOS NEXT is the fifth generation of the HarmonyOS, said Huawei’s executive director, Richard Yu Chendong. The new OS is built with its own features including its kernel, programming language, and AI framework, he added.
The previous versions of HarmonyOS used some codes of Android Open Source Project (AOSP), forcing it to be compatible with some Android applications. However, the newly developed operating system is completely independent of Android and Apple’s iOS maintaining domination and self-reliance along with improved performance, system fluidity, and security.
Designing a strong independent operating system is time-consuming and requires cooperation from different sectors of the industry. Huawei has overcome these challenges to build a self-reliant operating system increasing its technical strength in the highly competitive industry and also paving a path to domestic OS sectors.
According to Richard Yu Chengdong, the newly launched HarmonyOS NEXT will offer tight competition for other forefront OS in terms of battery life, privacy protection, and security. It has an improved fluency of 30% and a 20% increase in battery life, reducing the difficulty of cost and access.
The apps launched on the platform are updated daily. It allows faster file transactions, 1.2 GB can be transferred in 8 seconds between 2 HarmonyOS NEXT devices. The interconnection of multiple devices like tablets and mobile phones is achieved in HarmonyOS NEXT. Huawei has worked with more than 10,000 domestic sectors to develop HarmonyOS NEXT apps making a strong industrial chain possible, adds Yu.
HarmonyOS was first launched in 2019 and has become the largest mobile operating system in the Chinese market, replacing iOS. It was first applied in Huawei smart screens, followed by Huawei smartphones in 2021.
HarmonyOS includes more than 15,000 applications and Meta services covering 18 industries serving more than 38 million enterprises nationwide. According to reports, 6.75 million registered developers are supporting HarmonyOS. In addition, to accelerate the research and development the company has executed cooperation with more than Chinese universities.
According to statistics from Counterpoint, a global technology market firm, the global market share of HarmonyOS increased by 4% in early 2024.
The commercialization of HarmonyOS is imminent in 2024, driving a large number of developers and software manufacturers. The main reason for the growth of the popularity of HarmonyOS is its integration with different platforms, including mobile phones and car cabins.
Check More: Huawei Mate XT Revealed: The World’s First Trifold Smartphone Breaks New Ground
