What you need to know
- Huawei will move away from the Android Open Source Project for HarmonyOS Next.
- The next version of the company’s mobile operating system will be built on its own custom architecture.
- The move will drop support for Google apps, but it will improve performance and efficiency on Huawei devices.
Huawei will be fully moving away from Android apps on its devices with the next version of HarmonyOS, called HarmonyOS Next. The new version of Huawei’s in-house operating system was previewed this week at HDC 2024, the company’s developer conference. As reported by GizmoChina, HarmonyOS Next will leave behind the Android Open Source Project, and will instead be built on Huawei’s custom architecture.
The decision comes with some significant consequences. After losing support for Google apps a few years ago due to economic sanctions, Huawei devices will now lose support for Android apps altogether. A big benefit to using the Android Open Source Project is compatibility with Android apps. Developers can tweak the AOSP as they see fit, but still benefit from the exhaustive list of apps built on AOSP architecture.
As extreme examples, both the Humane AI Pin and Rabbit R1 are built on the AOSP architecture. They’re not Android devices in the conventional sense, but they use the AOSP codebase. That means they are technically compatible with Android apps. It’s how tinkerers were able to crack the Rabbit R1 and load up Android launchers and apps on the device with no translation, emulation, or other extreme efforts required.
Since HarmonyOS is built on AOSP, it can download and install Android apps. That will change when HarmonyOS Next releases with Huawei’s custom architecture. Developers will need to be ported to the Hongmeng kernel and system, according to GizmoChina. This process has been underway since 2023, but it’s unclear how many apps are available on HarmonyOS Next right now. The company says that popular apps Taobao, Yiche, and Bilibili are all running natively on the platform.
The move might work in China, as many apps are consolidated and offer many functions in the same place. For example, WeChat is the world’s largest standalone mobile app and serves as a messaging service, social media platform, and mobile payments provider. It’s effectively WhatsApp, Facebook/Instagram, and PayPal all in one — if we’re comparing WeChat to its Western equivalents. So, if Huawei got a handful of core apps on HarmonyOS Next, it could be successful even without Android app support.
Due to sanctions from the U.S. and other governments, Huawei phones haven’t been a viable consideration for most people outside of China for years. That becomes even more true now that Android apps will be left behind completely when HarmonyOS Next launches.
However, it’s not ready yet. Huawei says that HarmonyOS Next is currently in the beta testing stage and is looking for roughly 3,000 developers and beta testers. It’s been a slow and steady development process for HarmonyOS Next, and that‘s unsurprising. This will be a significant Huawei and comes with a lot of risk.
Huawei needs to pull every bit of performance it can out of its devices
Looking at the broader circumstances Huawei is facing, the move to build HarmonyOS on its own architecture over the Android Open Source Project actually makes a lot of sense. The aforementioned sanctions have limited Huawei’s ability to source equipment needed to create cutting-edge processors. Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), which designs and fabricates Huawei chips, can’t import equipment due to U.S. sanctions and treaties with other countries.
Something called an Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUV) machine allows chipmakers to produce faster and better chips than they could using older Deep Ultraviolet Lithography (DUV) equipment. That‘s why Huawei’s latest smartphone chip was made using the 7nm process, while Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has already developed mobile chips using the 3nm process.
There are reports that SMIC may be able to make 5nm chips using the DUV equipment it has, though it would be costly and inefficient. Either way, Huawei‘s chips would still be behind the competition.
Moving to a custom HarmonyOS Next version built on its own architecture could increase efficiency and make the most out of its meager microprocessors. In fact, that’s exactly what Huawei is hoping for. The company says HarmonyOS Next will bring 30% faster performance overall and a 20% lower power draw. Ditching AOSP, then, could be a good thing. If Huawei can deliver top-notch performance using HarmonyOS Next and get crucial developers onboard, Huawei users in China might not miss Android apps.
Still, this decision highlights the difficulties Huawei has faced since it was sanctioned massively by the U.S. government and others. If the company had access to state-of-the-art equipment, international sales, and Google apps, perhaps it wouldn’t need to move away from the Android Open Source Project. However, when you consider what Huawei’s options are, choosing competitive overall performance and battery life over expanded app support may be the right move.