HarmonyOS Next is a new operating system from Huawei, and for the first time it is built on an in-house kernel, completely independent of AOSP. The first devices to come with the OS are the recently launched Mate 70 family, the Mate X6 foldable, and the new MatePad Pro tablets.
Company CEO Richard Yu revealed that this is only the beginning – all Huawei devices launched by the company in 2025 will be powered by HarmonyOS Next. However, he left out one key detail – the change only applies to phones and tablets launched in China, as the company has struggled to roll out the OS overseas.
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South China Morning Post spoke to several analysts and they all agree that the main hurdle facing Huawei is the availability of apps. Rich Bishop, CEO of AppInChina, said it is hard to get international developers to create apps for the Chinese market because they will make little money.
The executive also said that even if a frequently used app is unavailable, it will prevent the user from purchasing the next device. Another challenge that Next Adopters will face is the inability to use apps abroad.
Richard Yu, chairman of the Consumer Business Group, revealed during the event on Tuesday that users can choose whether their phone comes with HarmonyOS 4.3 or HarmonyOS Next. We checked Huawei stores, and customers actually have a choice – the phones are sold with different SKU numbers (stock-keeping unit, a number used to track inventory of different products).
SCMP’s report shows that HarmonyOS has a market share of 17% in China, ahead of iOS with 16%. However, Android remains the clear leader with 68%, two-thirds of the world’s largest smartphone market. Globally, the picture is even darker – Huawei’s OS has a mere 4% share, while Android is at 80% and iOS is second at 16%.
Huawei flagship store in Shenzhen, China
The lack of Google Mobile Services has certainly hurt Huawei, which once aimed to be the best-selling smartphone maker in the world and is now not even in the top 5. However, the company still tries to remain in the user’s field of view. – One proof is the launch of the Pura 70 series in April.
Obviously, we’ll have to wait a little longer to see HarmonyOS Next devices available globally. SCMP pointed out that Huawei already has international partners, including ride-hailing platform Grab, which is from Singapore, and Emirates – the state-owned airline of Dubai. They both have apps, and Huawei hopes others will follow suit soon.
