After five years of development involving over 10,000 engineers and resulting in more than 2,700 patents, Huawei has finally revealed its ambitious desktop operating system. This marks a significant milestone in the Chinese tech giant's quest for technological self-reliance amid ongoing tensions with Western countries.
A Bold Step Toward Tech Independence
Huawei's new HarmonyOS PC (known as Hongmeng Computer in China) represents the company's most determined effort yet to create a complete computing ecosystem independent of Western technology. Unveiled during Huawei's HarmonyOS Computer Technology and Ecosystem Communication Event by Zhu Dongdong, Huawei's President of tablets and PCs, the operating system is built on three fundamental pillars: HarmonyOS Base, HarmonyOS Ecosystem, and HarmonyOS Experience.
Core Architecture and Technical Foundation
The Base component features Huawei's own HarmonyOS kernel, complemented by the Ark Engine for graphics and user interface performance. Security is handled by the StarShield architecture, which implements full-disk encryption at the chip level—meaning data remains protected even if a drive is physically removed from the device. This represents a significant advancement over Windows' BitLocker, which doesn't provide chip-level encryption by default across all devices.
HarmonyOS PC Key Components
- HarmonyOS Base: Includes HarmonyOS kernel, Ark Engine for graphics, StarShield security architecture
- HarmonyOS Ecosystem: Over 150 exclusive apps and integration for 2,000+ universal ecosystem apps
- HarmonyOS Experience: Support for 1,000+ external devices (800 standard peripherals across 20 device categories)
Hardware Specifications
- Processor: Kirin X90 desktop chip (10-core)
- Launch Date: May 19, 2025
App Ecosystem and Software Compatibility
For its launch, HarmonyOS PC will include more than 150 exclusive applications and integration with over 2,000 universal ecosystem apps. The system comes with an integrated WPS office suite and various applications designed to meet basic computing requirements. While this is substantially fewer than Windows' vast library of software, Huawei is focusing on quality and integration rather than quantity. For those needing Windows compatibility, users can run Windows 11 through the Oseasy virtual machine.
Hardware Integration and Device Connectivity
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of HarmonyOS PC is its seamless multi-device collaboration capabilities. The operating system supports more than 1,000 external devices, including 800 standard peripherals across 20 device categories like keyboards, mice, and monitors, plus over 200 secondary devices such as printers and scanners. Using Huawei's distributed soft bus technology, users can drag files between devices, share keyboards and mice across multiple screens, and hand off applications in real-time—creating a unified experience across Huawei's ecosystem of products.
AI-Powered Features and User Experience
As expected from a modern operating system, HarmonyOS PC features deep AI integration through Huawei's Xiaoyi assistant. Powered by the company's Pangu and DeepSeek models, Xiaoyi can generate templates, translate images, summarize meetings in real-time, and offer system-level automation. Unlike Microsoft's Copilot, Xiaoyi is more deeply embedded into the operating system and can access system-level commands through voice, image, or text inputs.
User Interface and Design Philosophy
Visually, HarmonyOS PC bears more resemblance to Apple's macOS than Microsoft's Windows. The interface features a dock of icons at the bottom center of the home screen, with clean, card-based desktop layouts and top status bars. The system incorporates dynamic wallpapers, motion effects, gravity-based visuals, and layered window transitions for a modern aesthetic. Gesture controls are also more intuitive, supporting three-finger swipes, drag-and-drop multitasking, and screen splitting at the system level.
Key Differences from Windows
- Architecture: Vertically integrated for Huawei hardware vs. Windows' universal compatibility
- Multi-Device Integration: Native distributed computing capabilities vs. Windows' reliance on third-party solutions
- User Interface: macOS-like dock and card-based layout vs. Windows' traditional taskbar approach
- AI Integration: System-level Xiaoyi assistant vs. Windows' Copilot
- Security: Chip-level full-disk encryption by default vs. BitLocker and third-party security tools
Hardware and Launch Details
The first HarmonyOS PC will officially launch on May 19, 2025, powered by Huawei's own Kirin X90 desktop chip—a 10-core processor designed specifically for the new operating system. The device will not support Windows natively, reinforcing Huawei's commitment to its independent ecosystem.
Market Impact and Future Prospects
While HarmonyOS PC represents a significant technological achievement for Huawei, its global impact may be limited by geopolitical factors and software compatibility issues. The system is likely to find its strongest adoption in China, where Huawei maintains a dominant market position and where government and institutional users may prefer a domestically developed alternative to Western software.
For Huawei, however, HarmonyOS PC is more than just an operating system—it's a declaration of technological independence and a crucial step toward creating a unified, cross-device digital ecosystem free from external dependencies. Whether it can challenge the global dominance of Windows and macOS remains to be seen, but its development alone signals a new chapter in the fragmentation of the global technology landscape.