HarmonyOS
HarmonyOS was officially unveiled at the Huawei Developer
Conference in China. Top managers of the company said that the operating system
is "completely different from Android and iOS." It will be
distributed on the basis of an open license - everyone can use it, from
third-party enthusiast developers to electronics manufacturers.
It is worth noting that the Android core is also open
source, but Google puts some restrictions on manufacturers who want to access
the Google Play application store and a package of popular applications (Maps,
YouTube, etc.). Huawei does not have such reservations, at least today.
It is known that HarmonyOS will use a distributed
architecture. The operating system is based on a microkernel, which is
responsible only for basic capabilities. All other functions are implemented
through additional modules. This solution allows you to easily install the
system on any device without losing performance and speed.
According to the CEO of Huawei Consumer Business Group
Richard Yu, the new OS is compatible with various programming languages. Using
the Ark compiler, the system supports Kotlin, Java, Javascript, C and C ++, and
is also compatible with Unix, Linux and Android. This will allow developers to
easily port their apps to HarmonyOS.
Where will HarmonyOS
work?
Company claims that the modular system will allow the OS to
run on almost any modern device. According to Huawei's plans, the new operating
system will be tested on branded smart TVs. The first such TV called Vision has
already been shown to the public - it will be on sale in mid-August.
In 2020, manufacturers plan to install operating systems in
laptops, smartwatches and fitness trackers. In another year, Huawei intends to
use HarmonyOS in smart speakers and car media systems.
What about smartphones?
During the presentation, Richard Yu said that he does not
want to use the new operating system on Huawei smartphones and tablets, because
the company hopes to maintain a partnership with Google. But if the sanctions
get in the way and the situation escalates even more, then HarmonyOS will
replace the "green robot" in a short time. The top manager called
this potential development "Plan B".
“If you are asking
when we will start using HarmonyOS on smartphones, we can do it at any time,”
said Richard Yu. He added that it will take “a couple of days” to resolve this
issue.
Apparently, the upcoming Huawei Mate 30 Pro, which is due
out in September, may become the first mobile device with HarmonyOS on board.
Richard Yu is not sure if the flagship will run on Android. Nevertheless, he
hopes for a favorable outcome, writes Forbes.