Huawei Replaces Android With Its Own HarmonyOS
Huawei has officially launched HarmonyOS NEXT, a fully independent operating system that no longer supports Android apps, marking its complete break from the Android ecosystem. Public beta testing is now underway for selected Huawei smartphones and tablets using the company’s Kirin and Kunpeng chips. Huawei announced that leading Chinese companies like Meituan, Douyin, Taobao, and JD.com have developed native apps for HarmonyOS NEXT, alongside over 15,000 native applications and services.
HarmonyOS NEXT reportedly improves device performance by 30%, extends battery life by 56 minutes, and leaves 1.5GB of memory available. While it’s currently China-only, Huawei previously attempted to expand HarmonyOS internationally without success. The launch highlights China’s broader drive for tech independence, spurred by U.S. sanctions that initially led Huawei to rely on Android’s open-source code. Huawei also intends to extend HarmonyOS to its future PCs, moving away from Windows, although details on timing and adoption by other manufacturers remain uncertain.