China`s Huawei Technologies introduced the launch of its proprietary Harmony operating system (HarmonyOS) for smartphones on Wednesday, because the embattled firm seems to recuperate from U.S. sanctions which have hobbled its handset enterprise.
Huawei will begin rolling out HarmonyOS on sure fashions of its smartphones from Wednesday night, providing customers the prospect to change from the present operating system that’s primarily based on Google`s Android platform.
The use of HarmonyOS means the corporate will now not be wholly reliant on Android. U.S. sanctions banned Alphabet Inc`s Google from offering technical assist to new Huawei cellphone fashions and entry to Google Mobile Services, the bundle of developer companies upon which most Android apps are primarily based.
Rather than being a like-for-like substitute, Huawei is billing HarmonyOS as an `Internet-of-Things` platform, geared toward operating on and connecting different units similar to laptops, smartwatches, vehicles and home equipment.
Huawei is aiming to have HarmonyOS rolled out on 200 million smartphones and 100 million third-party good units by the year-end, mentioned Wang Chenglu, president of Huawei Consumer Business Group`s software program division, who has led Huawei`s efforts to develop HarmonyOS since 2016.
Wang spoke at a media roundtable a day earlier and his feedback had been embargoed till Wednesday.
China`s main telecommunications gear maker discovered itself on a U.S. commerce blacklist in May 2019 as a result of nationwide safety considerations. Huawei has repeatedly denied it is a threat.
The ban put Huawei`s handset enterprise below immense strain. Once the world`s largest smartphone maker, Huawei now could be ranked sixth globally with a 4% market share within the first quarter.
But Wang mentioned the corporate was wanting past smartphones with HarmonyOS. He mentioned the smartphone market had plateaued and that smartphones stay the dominant gadget in folks`s lives largely as a result of most builders have few different platforms to develop for.
Instead, there was a necessity for a system to bridge the hole between units, Wang mentioned. “The problem with existing operating systems is that devices can`t be connected easily,” with customers typically having to obtain separate apps to get issues to attach, Wang mentioned.
“But Harmony can enable devices to be connected to form a super device. It will work as one file system, literally one device,” Wang mentioned.
Wang mentioned he would welcome different smartphone makers adopting HarmonyOS, however added that Huawei sees large alternatives in working with makers of non-smartphone units.
Will Wong, an analyst at IDC, mentioned it was not important for Huawei that different smartphone makers undertake HarmonyOS.
“(But) for Huawei to achieve its ambition, it will be important to get other electronics brands and even automakers onboard for the OS, and China provides a favourable market ecosystem to achieve this,” mentioned Wong.
