Huawei had introduced its very own operating system quite recently. That OS is called “HarmonyOS”, and it’s essentially an alternative to Android OS. A HarmonyOS-powered smartphone is not in Huawei’s plans anytime soon, but a smartwatch will arrive soon, it seems.
At launch, Huawei did say that it expends HarmonyOS to power various smart products, including cards, TVs, and wearables. Well, the company’s Vice President, Vincent Yang, confirmed that a smartwatch is coming.
HarmonyOS-based smartwatch is coming soon
During a media event in New York, Mr. Yang said that he expects the company “to launch a smartwatch using the platform”. Unfortunately, Mr. Yang did not say when will that happen. By his words, though, it seems like Huawei is working on it.
The very first HarmonyOS-powered product is HONOR’s smart screen which was announced not long after the OS’ announcement. Mr. Yang also added that the company is fully focused on Android, that it wants to maintain one standard, one ecosystem.
HarmonyOS basically serves as a backup option for Huawei, if things don’t go well with the US. Huawei would like to continue using Android, that much is obvious. If things get heated with the US to the point of no return, the company can always switch to HarmonyOS. That includes its smartphones. If cooperation with Google continues as planned, chances are we will not see a HarmonyOS-powered phone at all, at least not in the foreseeable future.
That’s not all, though. During the media event. Mr. Yang also confirmed that a new Huawei-branded flagship is coming. He confirmed that it will run Android, and the phone he’s referring to is the Huawei Mate 30 Pro, for sure. Or the Huawei Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro, as both are considered to be the company’s upcoming flagships.
Switching from Android to HarmonyOS would not be easy
Huawei may have a backup plan, but switching its current userbase to a HarmonyOS-powered phone may prove to be tricky. Without proper developer support, and Google services to go along with it, that would be a tough sell. HarmonyOS is a very versatile OS, it’s based on a custom microkernel, similar to Google’s Fuchsia OS. We will see what happens if it comes to the worse, and Huawei ends up being forced to use HarmonyOS on smartphones. Huawei probably has a clear plan on what to do, even though it would definitely affect the company in Western markets.
We will see what is the next step for the company’s OS. One product has been announced, but it’s not too exciting. Huawei will get much more exposure once they announce a smartwatch powered by the company’s OS, that’s for sure. Even a car with HarmonyOS on the inside would seem appealing, but a smart screen, not so much.
We do not have any specific info regarding the company’s upcoming smartwatch, though. Mr. Yang’s words are everything that is available thus far, but we do have high hopes for that smartwatch. The Huawei Watch is still considered to be one of the best-looking smartwatches ever, and that watch arrived years ago. The company did a good job designing its smartwatches, so it should have no problem with a HarmonyOS-powered one. We’re just very interested to see HarmonyOS in action, as we’re sure you’re too.