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Struggling Huawei steps up software drive with HarmonyOS 2.0 for Internet-of-Things era

  • HarmonyOS 2.0 is expected to run on up to 300 million devices by the end of this year, including 200 million Huawei smartphones
  • Huawei has partnered with major brands – including Midea, DJI, Tissot and Swatch – to run HarmonyOS 2.0 on their smart devices

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The adoption of Huawei Technology Co’s HarmonyOS 2.0 mobile platform on multiple devices is the company’s major focus this year. Photo: Handout
Yujie XueandCelia Chen
Telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies Co plans to expand the reach of its HarmonyOS mobile platform in the Internet-of-Things (IoT) market, where its self-developed operating system could be used in more devices than Google’s Android.
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At the online launch of HarmonyOS 2.0 on Wednesday evening, Huawei announced partnerships with several domestic and international firms to run its mobile operating system on their smart devices, including Chinese home appliances giant Midea Group, drone maker SZ DJI Technology Co and Swiss watch producer Tissot.
HarmonyOS 2.0 differentiates itself from Android and Apple’s iOS because it was designed to work on a wide range of IoT devices as well as smartphones, according to Wang Chenglu, president of Huawei consumer business group’s software unit. These devices include smartwatches, smart televisions, smart home appliances and other sensor-equipped gadgets that are connected to the internet and interact with mobile applications.

“Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android were developed about a dozen years ago, when the mobile internet started expanding and smartphones served as the main device,” Wang said in a group interview in Shenzhen on Tuesday. “While the smartphone market is becoming saturated, there is big growth potential in the IoT market.”

A screen capture from a Huawei Technologies Co video showing the user interface of its HarmonyOS 2.0 mobile platform. Photo: Handout
A screen capture from a Huawei Technologies Co video showing the user interface of its HarmonyOS 2.0 mobile platform. Photo: Handout
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The stakes are high for Huawei and other major technology companies in the Asia-Pacific, as regional spending on IoT is expected to reach US$288.6 billion this year, according to research firm IDC.

Huawei, which initially introduced its HarmonyOS in 2019, expects app developers to benefit from the lower costs associated with its use.
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