Huawei intends to impose its software ecosystem based on the HarmonyOS operating system on all everyday devices. Rumor has it that after smartphones, the Chinese giant now wants to tackle PCs, with an alternative OS.
It was a Weibo member who started the rumor mill on the web. In a very concise post published on the Chinese social network, the Fixed Focus Digital account states that “Hongmeng PC is coming”. HarmonyOS, international name of Huawei’s in-house operating system intended to replace Android on smartphones, could therefore become an OS for PC. If this information were verified, the market shares of Windows 10 and 11 could melt like snow in the sun, as much the Chinese company is popular in the Middle Kingdom.
The association between Huawei and Microsoft is indeed a forced marriage. Before the US embargo imposed in 2019, Huawei was on its way to establishing itself as one of the largest smartphone manufacturers in the world, and beyond telecoms, the company had diversified enormously, also manufacturing PCs such as the very good MateBook X Pro 2022, for example. To reach a global customer base, its devices run Windows 10 or 11, but this could change next summer. Leaders could indeed make a big announcement during the Huawei Developer Conference 2024.
Huawei wants to replace Windows with HarmonyOS in PCs
PCs running HarmonyOS to replace Windows? The bet seems risky, but according to the Weibo leaker, users who opt for the Chinese OS for their PC will not suffer not the slightest adaptation period. He suggests that Huawei could use “a cross-platform simulation engine” to resolve compatibility issues.
To believe it, the emulator integrated into HarmonyOS PC will not only be able to run software designed for Windows, but also for Linux or even Android. He adds: “We expect it to be pure HarmonyOS […] and its own ecology is being developed.” Should Microsoft be worried about this incursion by Huawei into its territory? All versions combined, the Redmond OS is installed on nearly 65% of the world’s installed base at present.