Huawei Launches Smartphones with Proprietary OS in Asia

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Chinese telecommunications equipment company Huawei is launching smartphones equipped with its self-developed operating system, HarmonyOS, in the Asian market. Until now, HarmonyOS has only been available on some smart TVs.

On the 2nd (local time), the BBC reported, "As Huawei was unable to access major Google applications such as Gmail due to US government sanctions and thus could not use Android, products equipped with HarmonyOS have diversified." The global release date is undecided.

However, Huawei stated, "We do not believe HarmonyOS can replace Android." This is because Android held a high market share, accounting for 85.4% of smartphones shipped as of 2019. Apple's iOS ranked second with 14.6%.

The BBC said, "Other operating systems like Samsung's Tizen or Amazon's Fire have also failed to establish a foothold in the smartphone market."

Although Huawei was expected to unveil new smartphones on this day, no new products were revealed. Instead, the focus was on connecting HarmonyOS with other devices such as tablets, smart speakers, and TVs.

Ben Wood, Chief Analyst at CCS Insight, said, "HarmonyOS focuses on the increasing interconnectivity of devices that Huawei aims for," adding, "It seeks to provide a seamless experience to customers who purchase product ecosystems through a single software platform, similar to Apple."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.