Huwaei's Senior Global Product Manager Peter Gauden believes that its HarmonyOS is "an operating system for the future." The company aims to integrity its brand-new OS on laptops and smartwatches sold outside China in the near future.
In an interview with Digital Trends along with other groups of journalists in London, UK, Gauden discussed what HarmonyOS is all about and how it will potentially shape the future of the company's devices.
In Gauden's words, HarmonyOS is "a single OS that covers everything, and works with all product types."
Huawei's new OS is designed so that it is compatible to any kind of device and the company claims that it is secure due to a microkernel system. It's designed as so because of the fact that security is a huge concern when it comes to all things linked to the Internet of Things or IoT.
Programming languages are easily understood by HarmonyOS due to Huawei's Ark Compiler. This includes Android apps, which makes things easier for third-party developers. The system is also adaptive that it automatically adjusts to various screen sizes, similar to adaptive mobile websites. This, in turn, makes it easier for the OS to be integrated on your TV or in your car.
"It's designed to be used on current devices," Gauden said about the software. He then went on to reveal that it is by nature open-source and not just by Huawei either.
Gauden wasn't unable to discuss if other manufacturers have taken interest in HarmonyOS, but he did establish that the software is still in its infancy.
As for first products to be installed with HarmonyOS outside China, Gauden says it could include laptops and smartwatches. The company's smartwatch already has the LiteOS, but its elements have been incorporated into HarmonyOS' microkernel. It could possibly pave the way for the next WatchGT with the new HarmonyOS. Another successful product for Huawei is their laptops, which as of now uses Microsoft's Windows operating system.
HarmonyOS was brought into the spotlight because of Huawei's battle with the US government, which may one day result into Huawei losing its license to using Windows and Google's Android. The birth of the new OS has solved the problem for Huawei, and if all goes well for the company and its OS, it may solve the various issues we have with connected products.
Asked whether HarmonyOS will be installed on a Huawei phone Gauden said it is a possibility, but for now, it's not one of the company's goal.
