After testing it for months, HUAWEI has finally launched the HarmonyOS Next, its latest operating system completely independent from Android.
While it will be initially exclusive in China, it’s been confirmed to launch globally in the future. HarmonyOS Next will be available in upcoming and select current HUAWEI devices — ranging from smartphones, wearables, smart home products, and even vehicles.
The HarmonyOS Next utilizes HUAWEI’s own microkernel based on the OpenHarmony open-source core and will work with apps using the HUAWEI Ark compiler with HUAWEI Mobile Services (HMS).
HUAWEI claims that there are already 15,000 apps and services available for the HarmonyOS Next ecosystem.
HUAWEI said that HarmonyOS Next devices will work seamlessly with each other, the cloud, and interconnectivity across different form factors.
To set it apart from Android, HarmonyOS Next has a refreshed look, which is noticeable in the lock screen, home screen, and control center, and boasts faster animations and app launch speeds.
Of course, it will have AI features handled by the system-level AI based on the Pangu LLM. It also features 30% higher device fluency, 20% lower power consumption in communication between software modules, and a new HUAWEI Share 2.0 that lets you transfer a 1.2GB file in just 8 seconds.
Security is handled by HUAWEI’s own Star Shield architecture that offers system-level protection.
The HarmonyOS Next is now available for public beta in China for the HUAWEI Pura 70 series, Pocket 2, and MatePad Pro 11 2024.