HUAWEI Technologies debuted its first in-house operating system for personal computers, offering an alternative to Microsoft’s Windows as China pushes to replace American technologies amid rising geopolitical tensions.
The company’s HarmonyOS is now ready to run on the MateBook Fold, its latest foldable laptop, consumer chief Richard Yu said on Monday (May 19). Huawei is working to make its operating system compatible with more than 2,000 apps, including the popular WeChat and QQ messaging platforms, he said.
The laptop features an 18-inch organic light-emitting diode screen when opened flat. Along with the Huawei MateBook Pro and MateBook Fold Ultimate Design laptops, it will be available from Jun 6. The cheapest model costs 7,999 yuan (S$1,438), ranging up to 26,999 yuan, according to Yu. The company also introduced a traditional HarmonyOS-powered laptop for government and enterprise clients.
Yu said American tech giants from Microsoft to Apple had failed to support a broad range of devices while they enjoyed full control over the industry.
“Windows and MacOS have been dominating the market for decades, leading to high concentration of mainstream app ecosystems and strong barriers,” Yu said during a live-streamed event. “We chose the difficult but correct path, despite China being a latecomer with a weak foundation.”
The HarmonyOS has been Huawei’s answer to Alphabet’s Android operating system for smartphones, following the imposition of US restrictions in 2019 that cut the Chinese company off from the latest version of the world’s most-used mobile platform. An array of the latest Huawei phones, including the Mate 70 and Pura X, are installed with the home-made software.
The entry into the personal computer (PC) system underscores Huawei’s ambitions to capitalise on the US-China tech decoupling and position itself as a key software provider in the world’s second-biggest economy.
Huawei is phasing out Windows on its PC product line as China drifts away from American technologies that it can replace. Best known for its hardware – from 5G base stations to trifold smartphones – Huawei is rapidly expanding its software ecosystem through HarmonyOS as it aims to connect all devices via a unified platform.
China’s PC shipments are projected to grow 3 per cent this year, driven by gaming and artificial intelligence demands, according to research firm Canalys. The government’s information security requirement also created a favourable environment for domestic brands. BLOOMBERG
