Huawei has just introduced its latest smartphones, the Mate 70 and the foldable Mate X6, in China. These new devices are powered by a new operating system called HarmonyOS Next. Unlike many smartphones that rely on Android, this system is entirely created by Huawei. This move is part of the company's strategy to develop technology that doesn't depend on US companies.
For a long time, Huawei has aimed to develop its own chips and operating system. They first announced plans for their own system back in 2012, anticipating that they might eventually lose access to platforms like Google’s Android. In 2019, they unveiled their own operating system called HarmonyOS. The earlier versions relied on a lot of Android code, but Huawei claims that the latest version does not use any Android components.
Why is it important?
Huawei Mate 70 series smartphones will arrive in China on December 4. The newly launched smartphone succeeds the Mate 60, which was also important because it was the first Huawei phone built with a processor entirely made in China. It allowed the company to navigate U.S. trade restrictions. However, Huawei is facing challenges since it can only produce chips using older technology for the next few years, while competitors like Apple are advancing to much smaller and more efficient chip technology.
Recently, it was revealed that some of Huawei's chips may have been obtained illegally through a third-party company, highlighting the ongoing tension between Huawei and U.S. authorities. This tension initially arose after Huawei was accused of attempting to steal trade secrets from T-Mobile and violating sanctions against Iran.
Huawei has stated that their new operating system still needs a few months of work to enhance user experience, but they plan to include it in all future smartphones. The company claims that this new system will provide a 40 percent boost in performance, which they attribute to the improvements in their software.
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