HarmonyOS NEXT Hands-on Experience
Huawei recently held its 2023 Huawei Developer Conference – HDC.Together, they captivate tech enthusiasts worldwide with exciting announcements. The highlight of the event was the release of HarmonyOS 4, showcasing the company’s dedication to innovative software development. However, it was the introduction of HarmonyOS NEXT that left developers and consumers eager for more.
HarmonyOS NEXT, a developer preview version, is built upon the foundation of OpenHarmony development, presenting a leap towards the “Pure HarmonyOS” experience. Unlike its regular consumer version, HarmonyOS NEXT breaks free from its Android-compatible roots. Attempting to open an Android APK file on this system will result in a “Cannot open this file” prompt. Huawei’s bold move demonstrates its commitment to fostering a truly native HarmonyOS ecosystem.
Notably, HarmonyOS NEXT is designed exclusively with the HarmonyOS kernel and system applications, making it entirely self-researched and eliminating any reliance on traditional AOSP (Android Open Source Platform) code. This strategic decision enables the system to embrace inherent smoothness, extreme energy efficiency, and unparalleled security, laying the foundation for future HarmonyOS advancements.
Huawei’s terminal cloud services president, Zhu Yonggang, envisions that the upgraded user base for HarmonyOS NEXT will exceed an impressive 100 million by the next year. This forecast anticipates the launch of a plethora of native HarmonyOS applications, catering to a rapidly growing user base.
The device compatibility for HarmonyOS NEXT currently includes Huawei Mate40 Pro and Huawei MatePad Pro 12.6 inches, both equipped with Kirin 9000 or Kirin 9000E chips. While adaptations for other models are in progress and will be rolled out in the future, these initial devices provide a glimpse of the powerful performance and seamless user experience HarmonyOS NEXT has to offer.
In pursuit of perfection, HarmonyOS has undergone meticulous development, resulting in more than 100 million lines of code and over 20,000 APIs. This impressive effort, coupled with the “Ark Graphics Engine” that optimizes energy efficiency, has elevated the HarmonyOS base to a near-flawless state.
Yu Chengdong, Huawei’s CEO, expressed the company’s commitment to software root technology and the continuous improvement of HarmonyOS. Through constant innovation, HarmonyOS aims to redefine the future of operating systems, empowering developers to create cutting-edge applications that cater to an ever-expanding user base.
As Huawei marches forward with its ambitious HarmonyOS NEXT initiative, the tech world eagerly awaits the official version release, poised to witness the unfolding of a new era in mobile operating systems. With its focus on native applications, unprecedented performance, and user-centric design, HarmonyOS NEXT promises to revolutionize the smartphone experience and reshape the digital landscape. As we await its widespread adoption, Huawei’s bold move stands as a testament to its unwavering commitment to technological advancement and innovation.
