Huawei is readying its own OS to challenge Android, iOS, and Windows

Harmony OS Next is available to test on selected phones in China, while a version for PCs is expected to be launched soon.

Huawei has launched a public beta version of its homegrown operating system Harmony OS Next, marking another departure from Western companies.

For now, Harmony OS Next will be available on Huawei’s flagship devices, including the Mate 60 and Mate X5.

The company plans to officially release the OS later this year, along with the launch of Mate 70, South China Morning Post reports.

The Chinese company received support from one of the country’s biggest companies, Tencent Holdings. Tencent is reportedly developing 20 apps on HarmonyOS, including the social media platform QQ, the video conferencing tool Tencent Meeting, and the work collaboration app WeCom.

For years, Huawei smartphones ran EMUI, the company’s modified version of Android. However, as relations with the West became more complicated due to alleged spying and sanctions, Huawei started developing its own OS.

The company first launched Harmony OS as an alternative to Android in 2019, though it was then a multi-platform operating system capable of running Android apps.

Harmony OS is gaining widespread adoption in China, which is followed by a wave of patriotism. In Q1, it already had a 17% market share in China, slowly eating into Apple's market share.

The company is now pushing a new version of Harmony OS, called Harmony OS Next, which is no longer compatible with Android.

Huawei also plans to use its homegrown OS beyond mobile devices. In September, Yu Chengdong, the head of Huawei’s consumer business group, said that future machines will run its own HarmonyOS.

Previous reports indicated that the company may launch its PC version in the last quarter of this year.