Huawei is about to launch a new operating system completely separate from Android

Unlike HarmonyOS 4, which still uses the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) as its foundation, HarmonyOS NEXT is built entirely on Huawei's proprietary Harmony kernel.

This means that Huawei's new operating system will not have AOSP libraries, will not have compatibility with Android, and will not run existing Android applications (APKs) directly.

This bold move opens up promising opportunities for developers and programmers in China. As native apps become the sole language of HarmonyOS NEXT, the demand for programmers proficient in this architecture will increase.

That prompted more than 400 software companies across various sectors in China to join and develop dedicated HarmonyOS NEXT apps.

Research firm TechInsights predicts that this strategic move will propel HarmonyOS to become the most popular mobile operating system in China by 2024, even surpassing iOS in market share.

Building a completely new application ecosystem is not an easy task and has not yet been able to attract large-scale attraction, especially from global program developers, which is a decisive factor for long-term development.

However, HarmonyOS NEXT is an important milestone in Huawei's journey towards software independence, paving the way for a potential alternative in the mobile market.

According to developers, by the end of 2024, Huawei plans to invest about $1 billion to develop about 5,000 applications for the new operating system.

HarmonyOS NEXT is currently in secret beta testing on the Mate X5, Huawei Mate 60, and Mate 60 Pro smartphones. The operating system is expected to be widely released in Q4 2024.