Internet giants are all joining HarmonyOS.

The Surge

For years, few have been able to create an operating system that can rival the widespread use of Apple's iOS and Google's Android.

Four years ago, Huawei's HarmonyOS was born as a disruptor, but it still designed a dual framework that could be compatible with Android applications. As a result, HarmonyOS has always been questioned for being an "Android shell," and in many third-party institutions' statistics, Huawei phones are still classified under the Android camp.

Four years later, HarmonyOS has reached a crucial turning point. It has pressed the accelerator button to transform into a "pure-blooded" HarmonyOS, aiming to compete with iOS and Android for a share of the market.

In September, Huawei announced that the next version of HarmonyOS, HarmonyOS NEXT, will be a completely self-developed system that is no longer compatible with Android applications. A group of internet companies with keen senses have already completed or started developing native HarmonyOS apps, including Meituan, NetEase, Toutiao, and DingTalk. The time for HarmonyOS to completely separate from Android seems to be getting closer.

The ecosystem is the secret to the success of tech giants like Apple and Google, who have long dominated the market for mobile operating systems with iOS and Android. The complete independence of HarmonyOS means that the global internet and IoT ecosystems are undergoing drastic changes, and the third-largest operating system is rapidly emerging.

To become the world's third-largest mobile operating system, HarmonyOS must further break free from its reliance on Android and establish a completely independent ecosystem to achieve higher performance and user experience.

On this path, Huawei has a heavy responsibility and a long way to go. Once successful, it will have a disruptive significance.

Influx

Less than two months after Huawei announced that it would no longer be compatible with Android, there are recent reports that some Android apps are no longer compatible with HarmonyOS. Huawei has not yet commented on this matter.

To prevent user loss, developing HarmonyOS versions of apps has become an inevitable choice for some developers. Regardless of the operating system, developer support is crucial in building an ecosystem. Without developers joining in, a complete ecosystem cannot be formed, and such an operating system would be nothing but a mere illusion.

Now, developers are accelerating their entry into the Huawei HarmonyOS ecosystem.

On November 13th, at the "HarmonyOS Native Application Development Launch Ceremony" held in Beijing, Huawei announced a comprehensive cooperation with Meituan based on HarmonyOS and pledged full support for Meituan in developing native HarmonyOS applications.

It can be seen that Meituan has also recently started to "recruit troops and horses" to develop "HarmonyOS versions" of Meituan, Dianping, and other apps. According to information displayed on the Maimai platform, the monthly salary for a HarmonyOS infrastructure engineer at Meituan ranges from 40,000 to 60,000 yuan.

During this period, many internet industry leaders, such as NetEase, Toutiao, and DingTalk, have also attracted attention for recruiting talent related to HarmonyOS.

In addition to the aforementioned companies, several other manufacturers have announced the launch or completion of native HarmonyOS app development in the past month.

Last month, Air China's app announced that it would be the first to launch native HarmonyOS applications in the aviation field, with the core version expected to be online by December 15, 2023, including functions such as ticket booking, itinerary display, and flight updates. Tongcheng Travel recently announced the official launch of the HarmonyOS native app development and plans to complete the development of the core version by the end of this year.

LeYuanSu, the developer of the game "Happy Elimination," has acted swiftly and become one of the first 20+ game developers to complete the development of HarmonyOS native applications.

With the support of developers, HarmonyOS is becoming more confident in its transformation into a "pure HarmonyOS," ensuring that users of the HarmonyOS system will have a wide selection of applications.

Ultimately, the quantity and richness of applications are important indicators of the completeness of an ecosystem, which determines the success or failure of a mobile operating system.

Of course, for developers, it is because they see that HarmonyOS has accumulated a sufficient user base that they are willing to invest in the development of applications compatible with the HarmonyOS system.

On August 4th, at the 2023 Developer Conference, HarmonyOS 4 became the highlight, not only with multiple performance upgrades but also with the latest AI capabilities applied in HarmonyOS 4.

Yu Chengdong, Executive Director and CEO of Huawei's Consumer Business Group, revealed at the event that as of August this year, the number of HarmonyOS devices in the ecosystem has exceeded 700 million, and the number of developers has exceeded 2.2 million, making it the world's third-largest mobile operating system.

It is worth noting that Huawei's goal for the HarmonyOS ecosystem is not only smartphones but also not simply an alternative to the Android operating system. It is a platform that encompasses all developers and can freely traverse all terminals such as smart screens, wearable devices, and even cars. The potential of this imagination is enormous.

Yu Chengdong stated that Huawei will invest billions of dollars in the next three years to strengthen the HarmonyOS ecosystem.

Transformation

In the chaos, HarmonyOS was born. Huawei's operating system bears this name, behind which lies Huawei's ambitious plan to build a full-scenario ecosystem.

Huawei's founder, Ren Zhengfei, said in June 2019, "The most crucial aspect of an operating system is to establish an ecosystem. It takes two to three years to rebuild a good ecosystem. We have confidence in relying on China to build an ecosystem for the world."

However, in the four years since the birth of HarmonyOS, it has undergone multiple major updates while maintaining a dual-framework design compatible with Android applications. This indicates the difficulty of building a new ecosystem.

At the same time, with Google's suspension of authorization to Huawei, Huawei's new phones can no longer come pre-installed with and use Google Mobile Services (GMS). However, the GMS framework is the "cornerstone" of overseas Android, not only covering a complete set of basic and underlying application suites to support the daily use of overseas Android users but also providing GMSCore functionality for developers.

Therefore, in the eyes of foreign users and developers, a phone without the Google framework is like losing the "hub" (many foreign applications and games require the GMS framework to function properly), rendering it as an expensive brick. With its independent and comprehensive ecosystem, Huawei phones will be able to break free from Google's restrictions and regain the ability to compete in the international market.

Against this backdrop, Huawei has taken the first step. At the 2023 Huawei Developer Conference held in August this year, Huawei not only released the new generation HarmonyOS 4, but also launched the HarmonyOS NEXT developer preview.

HarmonyOS NEXT is completely self-developed, removing the traditional Android AOSP code and only supporting the HarmonyOS kernel and HarmonyOS system applications.

Shortly after, at the Huawei Autumn Full-Scene New Product Launch in September, Yu Chengdong introduced that HarmonyOS native applications have been fully launched. The HarmonyOS NEXT developer preview will no longer be compatible with Android applications and will be open to developers in the first quarter of next year.

This means that HarmonyOS has transitioned from being forced to be compatible with Android to now standing out on its own. The "pure-blooded" HarmonyOS, no longer bound by AOSP code, can develop and innovate more freely.

In order to attract more developers to join, Yu Chengdong stated that Huawei has cultivated millions of HarmonyOS talents and will invest billions of dollars to support partner development, covering 18 application fields comprehensively.

Today, Huawei also has the confidence to separate from Android. Informed sources told Wall Street News that HarmonyOS 4.0 is likely to be the last generation of dual-framework systems for HarmonyOS. HarmonyOS 5.0, to be released next year, will abandon the dual-framework and adopt a single-framework, which means that in the future, HarmonyOS applications can only run on the HarmonyOS system.

Minsheng Securities pointed out that HarmonyOS opens up a trillion-level market, and by open-sourcing HarmonyOS to global developers, it promotes the rapid development of the HarmonyOS operating system and realizes a shared ecosystem across devices. In the future, it will rely on China and build a smart new ecosystem for the world.

However, the construction of the HarmonyOS ecosystem is still in its early stages. From the perspective of the overall number of HarmonyOS native applications developed, it still accounts for a small proportion in the entire market. Even if there are already HarmonyOS versions of applications available, most of them are not mature yet and there is still a gap in terms of interface, functionality, and completeness compared to Android and iOS versions.

Wang Peng, Deputy Researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told Wall Street News that more and more manufacturers are starting to develop HarmonyOS native applications, which indicates that the strength and market share of HarmonyOS have gained certain recognition. However, the challenge lies in how to improve the compatibility between applications and the system, as well as increase development cost investment.

The success or failure of the HarmonyOS system will depend on whether it can attract enough developers to join. This will test whether the shipment volume of HarmonyOS terminals can continue to rise. The two are interdependent and together form a closed loop of the HarmonyOS ecosystem.

For Huawei, this is destined to be a difficult but hopeful path; and HarmonyOS will be the key leap for Huawei to stand shoulder to shoulder with Apple, Microsoft, and Google as a top global technology giant.

When the ecosystem thrives, HarmonyOS will thrive. Huawei must go all out.