The key focus of China, for its part, is Huawei’s HarmonyOS. Huawei’s push with this was to develop the operating system for smartphones. Its starting point was when HarmonyOS launched in China first before growing into a platform intended to unify devices from China that could eventually boom more worldwide. HarmonyOS already boasts more than 15,000 compatible applications. This HarmonyOS is applied not only in smartphones, but in wearables and even in tablets and home smart devices. Such an integration across device types could provide users with a frictionless experience that is unavailable in traditional OS ecosystems, such as Android and iOS.
HarmonyOS growth is also tied to geopolitics and economic strategy. Sanctions from the US against Huawei have limited its ability to use Google Mobile Services, making it less competitive outside of China. In response, the Chinese government has supported HarmonyOS heavily, and Huawei has tried to attract developers by offering incentives to build apps for the platform. HarmonyOS currently leads in China, but global adoption will likely depend on the growth of the app ecosystem and consumer trust in non-Chinese markets.
If it succeeds, HarmonyOS could initiate innovation in the market and inject fresh dynamics into the global marketplace of smartphones. However, challenges like app availability and consumer trust worldwide make the prospects of HarmonyOS being accepted by the masses a bit unsure.
