Huawei launches own operating system to challenge Google's Android

A Huawei logo is seen at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Shanghai, China on 23 February 2021.
Reuters file photo

Huawei on Wednesday finally launched its self-developed operating system called HarmonyOS 2.0 that will power nearly 100 devices including smartphones, IANS reports.

Fed up with the US restrictions, Huawei in 2019 announced to build its own operating system (OS) to end the dependency on market leader Google's Android OS.

HarmonyOS 2.0 will bring a comprehensive upgrade to its existing distributed capabilities, including software bus, data management and security.

Huawei has launched a range of smartphones, smart-watches and tablets powered by its new HarmonyOS 2 operating system, including a new version of the HUAWEI Mate 40 Series and HUAWEI Mate X2, the HUAWEI WATCH 3 Series, and the HUAWEI MatePad Pro.

"Every single one of us is a part of this fully connected world, as is every device. We look forward to working with more partners and developers to build a thriving HarmonyOS ecosystem and provide even better experiences, products, and services to our customers the world over," said Richard Yu, executive director and CEO of Huawei's Consumer Business Group.

The company announced that roughly 100 other Huawei devices–including both smartphones and tablets–will be upgraded to run on HarmonyOS 2, giving consumers access to a seamless intelligent experience across multiple devices in all different types of scenarios.

For developers, HarmonyOS allows cross-platform development and cross-device deployment of apps, making the development of apps across devices easier than ever before.

Huawei said it is committed to protecting user privacy and security.

The Chinese conglomerate began work on its own OS as major chips and technologies from the US were not available to the company since 16 May, 2019 due to restrictions imposed by the earlier Donald Trump administration.

Huawei's consumer businesses faced a tough time due to inability to use Google's ecosystem in overseas markets.