Huawei is set to release its Mate 70 smartphone with HarmonyOS Next, a fully homegrown operating system aiming to compete with iOS and Android.
This follows a period of growth for Huawei, despite U.S. sanctions that limited its access to Google Mobile Services, prompting the company to develop its own operating system.
HarmonyOS Next requires developers to rewrite apps for the new system. Huawei already has 15,000 apps running, including key services like WeChat, Taobao, and Meituan, though some apps, like WeChat Pay, are still lacking full functionality.
Huawei is relying on its loyal user base to help improve the system, with frequent updates to apps and ongoing developer support.
However, gaining international developer support remains a challenge.