Chinese tech giant Huawei is set to launch HarmonyOS Next this Thursday – a new generation of its operating system first launched in 2019. After years of innovation and improvement, the operating system has now been transformed, paving the way for Huawei's next transition. Yang Chengxi has the story.

YANG CHENGXI Beijing "This is the Mate 60, the latest smartphone from Huawei that shocked the world with its 5G-level capabilities. It's something many thought would be impossible under the U.S. chip ban. And in 2024, Huawei is taking things to a whole new level, with a move that could transform the landscape of mobile operating systems."

This is HarmonyOS. Huawei developed this Android alternative in 2019 after the U.S. sanctions and in 2024, Huawei is set to achieve a major milestone by introducing HarmonyOS NEXT. For the first time, it will no longer be compatible with Android.

Hundreds of China's biggest software companies in navigation, travel, finance, games, and more, are on board with developing HarmonyOS NEXT applications.

Internet security solution provider 360 Group is among the firms building and testing their native apps.

MA XIUFENG General Manager of Mobile Division 360 Group "We will combine the security capabilities of 360 Group with the advanced privacy protection of HarmonyOS. The 360 Browser is our initial trial. Thanks to HarmonyOS's advanced features, we will also support inter-application workflow and cross-device collaborations in the browser."

The real fight for HarmonyOS to stand on its own has begun. Research firm TechInsights is predicting the move could catapult Harmony to become the second most popular mobile operating system in China this year, just behind Android and surpassing Apple's iOS.

Despite the optimism, experts call for prudence. Pushing a new operating system is an endeavor that Microsoft has tried and failed with their Windows Phones. Remember those? There's a reason we don't see them now. A major factor behind people abandoning the system was its poor app variety, due to a lack of developer support.

ANTONIO WANG Vice President, Client System Research IDC China "At the time, the growing dominance of iOS and Android in the market made it difficult for developers to manage yet another OS ecosystem. While the Windows Phone itself did not have any major issue, the problem was that it held relatively little appeal for developers."

The key here is to provide app developers with a strong enough reason to commit to a new system. The relatively large user base in China should inherently appeal to domestic developers, and Huawei officials have also pledged to offer revenue sharing incentives.

But immense difficulties lie ahead outside of China. Getting global companies on board with developing Harmony apps will be a challenge if the Chinese tech giant refuses to settle for being a China-only brand.

It's obvious Huawei has huge goals. For now, all eyes are on how Huawei's future strategies match its ambitions.