HUAWEI Technologies today announced its inaugural laptop running on the company’s proprietary HarmonyOS, marking a significant step in its efforts to build an independent software ecosystem. The unveiling comes after HUAWEI’s Microsoft Windows license for personal computers expired in March.
HarmonyOS Takes Centre Stage on New Laptop
The yet-to-be-named laptop will be powered by HarmonyOS 5, also known as HarmonyOS Next, the latest iteration of the Chinese tech giant’s self-developed operating system. This move signifies HUAWEI’s determination to reduce its reliance on foreign technology amidst ongoing US restrictions.
AI Integration and Key Features
According to reports from state-backed newspaper Securities Times, the new laptop boasts integrated artificial intelligence (AI) features, including HUAWEI’s own AI assistant, Celia. Celia is reportedly capable of assisting users with tasks such as generating presentations, summarizing meeting minutes, and retrieving information from local documents, provided access to necessary third-party applications is available.
At a closed-door event in Shenzhen, the company’s headquarters, HUAWEI’s president of tablets and PCs, Zhu Dongdong, announced the new device. During the event, he also stated that HUAWEI had ‘fully entered the era of HarmonyOS’ for its terminal devices.
Expanding Software Ecosystem
The HarmonyOS on PCs ecosystem will include a range of software catering to both professional and leisure activities. Chinese tech news outlet ITHome reports that pre-installed software will include WPS, a popular Chinese alternative to Microsoft Office, and Alibaba Group Holding’s enterprise collaboration platform, DingTalk.
Furthermore, the new laptop will offer compatibility with a growing number of mobile applications available on HarmonyOS smartphones. This includes popular social media platform RedNote, video-sharing site Bilibili, and ByteDance’s enterprise collaboration tool Feishu. State-backed Nanfang Daily reports that the device will support over 2,000 apps by the end of the year.
User Interface Blends PC and Mobile Elements
The user interface of the HarmonyOS laptop blends familiar elements from both traditional PCs and smartphones. It features a software shortcut bar at the bottom, reminiscent of Apple’s macOS Dock, while the home screen displays application shortcuts as icons, cards, or folders.
HUAWEI is planning an official launch of the new HarmonyOS laptop on May 19, according to Chinese media reports.
HUAWEI’s Push for Technological Independence
The development and launch of this HarmonyOS-powered laptop underscore China’s increasing technological self-sufficiency in the face of US technology restrictions. HUAWEI has been actively developing HarmonyOS since 2015, and last year saw the launch of its first smartphones, the Mate 70 series, running a version of the OS incompatible with Google’s Android. This was followed by the foldable Pura X smartphone in March.
HUAWEI has also been actively updating its existing devices, with at least 160 older HUAWEI smartphones, tablets, televisions, and wearables now capable of running various versions of HarmonyOS instead of Android.
