Huawei’s new Android-free mobile operating system is here

Huawei has announced a significant upgrade to its HarmonyOS operating system. HarmonyOS NEXT is entirely free of Android and, as such, doesn’t support Android-based apps. According to Android Headlines, the OS is based on the open-source OpenHarmony project.

It will launch first in China, but is expected to be available elsewhere eventually. HarmonyOS NEXT will remind many of the company’s original HarmonyOS, but there are key differences, as Android Headlines notes. These include a refreshed lock screen that’s much flatter with new customization options. There’s also a redesigned control center and faster animations. The home screen, however, looks very similar to HarmonyOS.

HarmonyOS NEXT incorporates system-level AI capabilities based on the Pangu large language model. Huawei has also developed a new security system called “Star Shield” that provides system-level protection for devices running HarmonyOS NEXT.

In announcing the new OS, Huawei Consumer Business Group Chairman Richard Yu said that 15,000 apps and services are now part of the HarmonyOS NEXT ecosystem.

The U.S. has heavy restrictions on Huawei products, which is one of the reasons HarmonyOS NEXT has been created as Android-free. Though Huawei products aren’t entirely banned from being purchased by consumers in the U.S., they are extremely hard to find. Additionally, the U.S. government has banned using Huawei products at the federal level over national security concerns.

HarmonyOS NEXT is currently in public beta in China. It is available for the Huawei Pura 70 series, Huawei Pocket 2, and Huawei MatePad Pro 11 (2024).

In recent months, Huawei has announced several new products, including new Android-based tablets like the MatePad Pro 12.2 and MatePad 12 X. New smartwatches have also been introduced recently.