Huawei’s HarmonyOS Reaches 100 Million Shipments, Challenging Android Dominance
Huawei has announced a significant technical achievement: the number of devices running on its HarmonyOS has now exceeded 100 million globally. This milestone is a clear indicator of the growing success of the operating system, which was developed by Huawei as an independent alternative to Android.
HarmonyOS is currently used across a wide range of devices, including smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, and smart home appliances. This achievement reflects user confidence in the system’s performance and stability, as well as Huawei’s commitment to delivering a seamless and secure digital experience across its entire ecosystem of smart devices.
Key Highlights and Market Analysis
- A Response to Challenges: Huawei launched HarmonyOS in 2021 as a direct response to losing official access to the Android operating system. The company has not backed down since.
- Rapid Growth: According to recent research by Canalys, Huawei shipped 103 million smartphones running on HarmonyOS by the end of 2024. This number highlights the rapid adoption of the new OS, with approximately 45% of those devices sold within the last year alone.
- Expanding Ecosystem: Projections indicate that Huawei sold 21 million HarmonyOS-powered tablets before the start of 2025. The operating system’s importance is further underscored by its use in an increasing number of smart wearables, which are also experiencing continuous growth.
- Advanced Features: HarmonyOS offers advanced features, such as enhanced wireless integration with other Huawei devices and a smart assistant powered by AI (known as Celia in China).
- Future Expansion: The system’s reach is expected to grow with the launch of new products like the latest MateBook Pro and Huawei’s first foldable tablet, the MateBook Fold. Both devices are equipped with HarmonyOS as a locally developed alternative to Windows.
- Addressing Challenges: Despite its success, HarmonyOS faces some early challenges, primarily the inability to run application packages from major companies like Adobe and Microsoft. Solving this issue will require significant time and resources from Huawei.