HarmonyOS - Huawei's mobile OS is simply a slightly modified Android

HarmonyOS is a mobile operating system developed by Huawei after the Chinese giant was banned in the United States and therefore lost its Android license. However, as Ron Amadeo of Ars Technica reports, in fact, this OS is hardly a new alternative to Google's product, as it is basically just a slightly modified variant of Android 10. It is somewhat disappointing as HarmonyOS was portrayed as completely a different operating system from Android and iOS, which will be very universal and will be suitable for both home smart devices (such as Honor Vision TV sets), as well as smartphones. The creators assured that the US ban would not stop them from being innovative, but the reality in this case turned out to be disappointing.

HarmonyOS can hardly be called a true alternative to Google's product as it is just a slightly modified variant of Android 10.

Source: Ars Technica

Amadeo discovered a few disappointing aspects of HarmonyOS that may raise some controversy. Let's start with the fact that to get developer access for this OS, a two-day background check is required, which includes sending a copy of your passport, ID card, and credit card to Huawei. Moreover, we don't actually run a beta operating system in its emulator as this one is streaming, Google Stadia style, possibly from a phone in China running beta. Most importantly, however, HarmonyOS seems to be a modified Android 10, where simply the word "Android" has been replaced with the word "Harmony".

HarmonyOS is a product that is currently available in China, but Huawei has ambitions to become a serious player on the mobile OS market. It must be assumed, however, that it will be most popular in the manufacturer's home country, which does not change the fact that the confirmation that in fact it is only a continuation of the proprietary EMUI overlay from Huawei is disappointing. All the more so as it also means slower access to Android updates through the Open Source Android Project. So it seems that HarmonyOS is a product that was created quickly so as not to irritate the US and to satisfy the ambitions of the Chinese authorities. Nevertheless, the quick text edits and the invasive application process for the developers are unlikely to bring fans to this system.

Huawei released a statement following the reports of Ars Technica's Ron Amadeo:

HarmonyOS uses a variety of external sources of open source software, which allows it to accelerate the work related to building a comprehensive system architecture. We strictly adhere to all applicable rules for the use of open source software.

Although the current beta version of the system includes some UI elements from the EMUI 11 overlay, HarmonyOS will be presented with a completely new interface along with the upcoming new Huawei smartphones. The development beta program is still ongoing and we are open to any feedback from programmers and partners cooperating with us, so as to best implement our vision of creating comprehensive software.

HarmonyOS is a completely new operating system based on a distributed architecture developed by Huawei. It was designed with the needs of the future in mind, in which we will work within a complex system of interconnected IoT devices. This system will be able to be deployed on many different devices and will flexibly adapt to different hardware resources and application requirements.