Huawei intros HarmonyOS NEXT, departs from AOSP

Huawei recently unveiled its HarmonyOS NEXT in China—the brand’s ‘pure-blooded Harmony’ operating system.

Based upon the ‘Harmony’ kernel, HarmonyOS NEXT will employ apps specifically developed for its unique architecture. Which means that this will be a standalone OS, not relying on Android Open Source Project (AOSP).

As previously reported, HarmonyOS NEXT will drop support for Android, but only in China. Leading to local developers porting their apps over to the new platform—with over 200 native apps currently being developed.

Thankfully, HarmonyOS will retain Android support globally with EMUI.

Huawei claims that the included UI toolkit and compiler within HarmonyOS NEXT will produce more efficient apps.

Additionally, with over 60 dedicated development teams and 70 games under production, the platform is expected to see a surge in applications by year-end, reaching over 5,000.

It’s worth noting that HarmonyOS NEXT is specifically designed for the Chinese market, where Huawei holds a strong position. The success of Huawei’s flagship models like the Mate 60 and nova 12 lines has fueled partner engagement in the development process, further solidifying Huawei’s commitment to its own ecosystem.

Currently, the closed beta version of HarmonyOS NEXT is available for Huawei’s high-end Mate 60, Mate 60 Pro, and Mate X5 foldable phones. The final public release is expected in the third quarter of 2024, at least in China.