After the disappearance of Windows Phone, many have been waiting for the arrival of a third operating system other than iOS and Android. Well, that moment seems to have arrived, because Huawei he officially announced HarmonyOS NEXT. This is a version devoid of any connection with Android and it is currently compatible with only a few smartphones, namely Mate 60, Mate 60 Pro and Mate X5.
HarmonyOS NEXT: Huawei says it definitely addio ad Android
Looking at videos uploaded online in the last few hours, there would seem to be no differences between HarmonyOS and the just presented NEXT version. And in terms of interface, animations and functionality (the source of inspiration is crystal clear, i.e. iOS) it is exactly like that, there is nothing new to report. The same however cannot be said of applications, in the sense that NEXT no longer uses Android libraries and is unable to open APK files (now replaced by HAP files).
During the conference in China, Yu Chengdong of Huawei, after declaring that – in his opinion – the HarmonyOS kernel is superior to the competition, stated that over 200 applications are already available for the new operating system. The goal is to achieve quota 5000 before the end of the year.
And therefore, with HarmonyOS NEXT, we are no longer talking about applications “borrowed” from Android, but about app “native”. In this way it will be possible to guarantee, according to the company, even richer, more fluid and interconnected experiences.
The debut of the new operating system is set for the last quarter of 2024, but only in the Chinese market, where Huawei is already very strong and can afford to “free itself” from Google and follow, as far as possible, Apple’s example. For the international market, however, nothing will change, because Android apps will continue to be supported.