Huawei HarmonyOS Next to arrive this year to deliver independence from US software

Huawei’s HarmonyOS Next seems set to launch this year for Chinese PCs

Thanks to the impact of US sanctions, Huawei has been forced to develop their own software. They could no longer use Android to power their smartphones, forcing the company to create an alternative. Using the Open Source version of Android as its baseline, Huawei has created HarmonyOS. So far, this new OS has proved popular both inside and outside of Hauwei devices, taking up 16% of the Chinese phone market. Now it looks like Huawei’s next-generation HarmonyOS Next OS will soon be ready to launch, this time targeting desktop and laptop computers.

Huawei appears to be taking an Apple macOS style approach with their new OS. Based on PC UI layouts, the OS has a taskbar that looks very Apple-like in design. Furthermore, its planned compatibility with tablets, phones, and PCs feels like a very similar approach to Apple’s OS ecosystem for similar devices.

China seeks software independence from the US. So far, the Chinese government has pushed for more companies to support HarmonyOS with their products and software. These plans will accelerate with HarmonyOS Next and desktop/laptop PC support.

The increasing appearance of HarmonyOS PC version UI layouts on Huawei's developer website suggests that HarmonyOS Next for PC is definitely set to launch in Q4 this year. pic.twitter.com/oEmRAsN0CC

— jasonwill (@jasonwill101) July 16, 2024

China clearly wants to see their PC ecosystem move away from Microsoft’s Windows OS’. Currently, it is unclear how HarmonyOS Next will impact the PC market outside of China, or if the OS will be able to achieve dominant market share inside China. After all, Huawei has a lot of ground to cover if they want their OS to replace Windows. After all, most applications are made with Windows in mind, not HarmonyOS.

You can join the discussion on Huawei’s HarmonyOS Next being likely to come to desktops and laptops this year.