Huawei launches its own operating system - Harmony OS

The Chinese phone maker's alternative to Google Android is also about TVs, cars, tablets and other devices.

What is HarmonyOS?

Yu said that, like Android, HarmonyOS will be open source, allowing developers to modify it for their hardware and opening the potential for a broader embrace of the platform. Yu also said migrating from Android to HarmonyOS would take a few days, and that the cross-device operating system will support a variety of app languages, including Android, Linux and HTML5.

Previously, Huawei expressed some uncertainty about its ability to use Android in future devices as it waited for Commerce Department clearance in the wake of the Trump administration's restrictions.

Huawei executive Catherine Chen acknowledged last month that HarmonyOS was being built, but said it wasn't for phones. She said it was originally designed for internet of things (IoT) devices like smart TVs, and that it contains far fewer lines of code than a phone OS.

Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei reportedly echoed the IoT point but boasted that the homegrown OS is about 60% faster than Android -- suggesting that it had in fact been made for phones. Ren also said HarmonyOS devices will require their own app store, which we've heard some evidence about.

We'd been hearing whispers that Huawei was creating its own operating system for phones, tablets and other smart devices, a precaution in case it lost access to Google's Android software. And the Chinese company confirmed this Friday at its Huawei Developer Conference, where it officially unveiled the new operating system: HarmonyOS, a cross-device platform previously known as HongMeng.

Features

Huawei said it has been developing this Harmony OS since 2017, and while the version unveiled today still uses both Linux and Huawei’s older Lite OS kernels, the 2020 version will exclusively use the Harmony OS kernel – making it the true version of the operating system. This 2020 version will reportedly be able to support high-performance graphics on “innovative PCs.”

Harmony OS is built with a deterministic latency engine, which the company claims will deliver a smoother, interactive experience.

This engine should ensure that latency is minimised, providing a more fluid and interactive experience.

The operating system will also have a verified TEE (Trusted Execution Environment), which Huawei said will improve connected security across numerous smart devices.

Due to its microkernel design, there will be no root access available – theoretically making the operating system more secure than a platform like Android.

When will we see the first HarmonyOS devices?

HarmonyOS will first come to smart TVs and other "smart screen" devices, later in 2019. In the coming years, it'll migrate to car infotainment systems, wearables and more.

Speaking at HDC, Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei's consumer business, Google Android is still Huawei's preferred choice for handsets, given the status-quo ecosystem. However, when Android is not available, Harmony can be applied to smartphones immediately."