After the US ban that prevented Huawei from using Google’s Android Mobile Operating System (OS) the company recently unveiled its new HarmonyOS 2.0 operating system, which it said would begin to roll out to its smartphones from next year.
Huawei said that HarmonyOS 2.0 brings a comprehensive upgrade to the operating system’s existing distributed capabilities, including its software bus, data management, and security.
In April 2021, Huawei will open HarmonyOS 2.0 to 128MB Internal memory and 4GB RAM devices, and in October 2021, the new OS will be opened for devices above 4GB RAM Huawei CBG CEO Richard Yu said at the Huawei Developer Conference earlier this month.
Yu also confirmed that Huawei will launch its first smartphone running HarmonyOS in 2021.
HarmonyOS has been in development internally for some time, with the system being built from the outset to run on a variety of connected devices including TVs, home appliances, and so on.
HarmonyOS uses a microkernel architecture that is designed to enable distributed connectivity, and it comprises the following four key building blocks:
- A deterministic latency engine
- Improved security through a Trusted Execution Environment
- A modularised format which can adapt to various hardware types
- A distributed architecture
Due to its microkernel design, there will be no root access available in HarmonyOS– theoretically making the operating system more secure than a platform like Android. This makes it closer to Apple’s iOS in terms of root access.
When will HarmonyOS-powered devices roll out locally?
The company is still cagey on the availability of HarmonyOS in smartphones within Africa. However, they know that the continent is a key market for Huawei’s global strategy and that the rollout of any smartphones which potentially ran HarmonyOS 2.0 would depend on the development of the operating system and the supported devices.
It should be noted that HarmonyOS has been part of Huawei’s plan for a decade now. It is something that was being built anyway but that was fast-tracked due to the USA ban.
Several countries in Africa have historically been among the first regions to receive new hardware and Android updates, although the company not confirm if and when HarmonyOS 2.0-powered devices would launch locally.
Difference between HarmonyOS, Android, and iOS
There has speculation around how this software will compete with Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android operating systems on mobile once it becomes available for smartphones, but the company notes the importance of distinguishing between these mobile-specific systems and the unified HarmonyOS platform.
Because HarmonyOS is completely brand-new in the space, it is more focused on the distributed architecture. When it comes to connected experience, that is when HarmonyOS is going to come to the fore.
Android and iOS are mobile operating systems – HarmonyOS is going to be an all-scenario smart experience operating system according to Huawei. This is going to be a brand-new system that will set the benchmark for the future of how smart devices communicate and operate.
ALSO READ: HMS Core Explained! Huawei’s Google Alternative
In terms of our development with Huawei’s HMS, a lot of Harmony’s capabilities have been migrated over to HMS and the company says the new OS is going to be so much more than that.
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