Huawei Technologies Co. unveiled long-awaited details of its HarmonyOS software, an operating system attempt targeting a central role in a consumer electronics market dominated by Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android.
HarmonyOS has been designed to work across smartphones, appliances and other hardware, combining the capabilities of all connected gadgets for what Huawei calls “super device” utility. The company demonstrated multi-device functionality as part of its HarmonyOS showcase and said it plans to build its new platform into a hub that connects a wide spectrum of hardware from earbuds to smart cars. The Shenzhen-based telecom gear maker is looking to the so-called Internet of Things as a path to competing with Apple and Alphabet Inc.’s Google. Development of HarmonyOS dates back to 2016, but was accelerated after Washington blacklisted Huawei, cutting it off from essential mobile chipsets and key Google services. With Android and iOS already entrenched in their dominance over the smartphone landscape, Huawei’s aim is to be best at linking interconnected electronic devices and accessories.
The Harmony project is Huawei’s big bet in the consumer market. Worldwide demand for smart home devices, such as smart speakers, video entertainment products, and smart locks, is expected to balloon in the coming years with China becoming the largest market before 2025, according to research firm IDC.
MacDailyNews Take: Aptly named, as Huawei’s yet-another-Android-fork likely siphons your personal data – including video and audio from inside your home – and sings it back to the Chinese Communist Party in perfect harmony.
The CCP will probably force its captive citizens to buy HarmonyOS crap, but anybody who’d shackled themselves with it willingly would have to be – yup, you got it – batshit insane.