Huawei is making significant strides with its Android-free operating system, HarmonyOS NEXT, as it prepares for a major rollout. The Chinese tech giant recently announced that its homegrown OS has already amassed over 10,000 apps, even before its official launch. This milestone comes alongside news that HarmonyOS NEXT will enter public beta testing on October 8th, marking a crucial step towards its full release.
A Growing Ecosystem
According to Huawei, the 10,000+ apps span 18 vertical domains and are said to meet 99.9% of users' needs in China. This rapid growth in app availability is partly due to Huawei's substantial investment in developer support. The company has reportedly allocated ¥6 billion ($851 million) annually to attract developers, resulting in over 6.75 million registered developers on the Huawei Developer Programs.
Key Partnerships and Developer Support
To build a robust app ecosystem, Huawei has partnered with major Chinese tech players like Ant Group, China UnionPay, and iFlytek. These collaborations aim to ensure that HarmonyOS NEXT can offer a comprehensive range of services to its users from day one.
Public Beta and Device Compatibility
The public beta, set to begin on October 8th, will initially be available on select Huawei devices, including:
- Mate 60 series
- Mate X5 series
- MatePad Pro 13.2 series
This beta phase will allow a wider user base to experience the OS and provide valuable feedback before the stable release.
Bold Claims and Future Prospects
Huawei's confidence in HarmonyOS NEXT is evident, with Zhu Yonggang, President of Mobile Cloud, claiming that the OS has accomplished in one year what took Android and iOS 17 years to achieve. While this is a bold statement, it underscores Huawei's ambition to establish HarmonyOS NEXT as a major player in the mobile operating system market.
Global Rollout Uncertain
While HarmonyOS NEXT is poised for imminent release in China, the timeline for a global rollout remains unclear. Huawei faces additional challenges in meeting the diverse app needs of global users and navigating relationships with international tech companies.
As Huawei continues to invest heavily in its ecosystem and attract developers, the tech world will be watching closely to see if HarmonyOS NEXT can truly challenge the dominance of Android and iOS in the global smartphone market.