Huawei moves to totally abandon Android

Huawei has unveiled its new in-house-developed operating system, HarmonyOS NEXT, which the Chinese tech giant expects to help it break with the Android ecosystem.   

The company last week announced plans to roll out a developer version of the platform in the second quarter of the current year followed by the full commercial version in the fourth quarter. The step comes as part of Huawei’s ambitious plan to bolster its own software ecosystem.

The Shenzhen-based corporation first unveiled its proprietary Harmony system back in 2019, and launched it on some smartphones a year later. However, shortly thereafter the US imposed restrictions aimed at cutting the Harmony system’s access to Google’s technical support.

As a result, unlike previous consumer versions of the HarmonyOS, the new version is not compatible with Android. The company has opened its first developer beta test to acquire testers and experience key features.

Last year, Huawei launched its Mate60 series of smartphones that, according to the company, will be powered by a domestically developed chip set. The release represented a remarkable comeback into the high-end smartphone market for Huawei, which has been struggling under US sanctions for years.

The tech giant expects 2023 revenue to have topped 700 billion yuan ($97.3 billion), marking year-on-year growth of 9%, Reuters reported, citing a message from Huawei last month.

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