What happened to Huawei was honestly quite sad for any tech enthusiast. Because they did bring actual usable innovation to the table every year before the ban. Now with every smartphone they release there has to be a disclaimer suggesting “please don’t buy the new phone since you won’t be able to use basically any US-based app or service reliably” – beating a dead horse indeed.
That still hasn’t stopped them from innovating it seems though. Huawei just launched a plethora of devices in their recent HarmonyOS event with many products ‘taking inspiration’ from brands like Apple and Samsung. I mean honestly look at their new tablets, even the case they come with is very inspired, if that wasn’t enough, even the marketing, the OS, the launch presentation, the everything is a blatant rip off of the iPad. What was interesting at the event though was what is now known as HarmonyOS.
What is HarmonyOS? Is it Android? Is it Huawei’s own proprietary OS? Are we finally getting some competition? Well No but maybe a bit of yes. Be prepared to be confused beyond imagination.
So HarmonyOS is basically what Huawei is calling a ‘distributed OS’ for all their devices – smartphones, smart home devices, gadgets, TVs, name it. BUT depending on what device you are using it is a completely different thing. If you are using a Huawei smartphone, the HarmonyOS is just a skin applied to the vanilla open-source Android they are still able to use despite the ban. If you are using a smart home product, HarmonyOS is the language these products speak to integrate with one another; think Smart Things by Samsung like on the Samsung Galaxy A72. Lastly, HarmonyOS on top of these two cases is actually an OS itself also (where the previously mentioned ‘yes’ comes from) – little is known where this OS will actually be fully operational but between being an Android Skin, An Ecosystem language thingy and an OS; I am sure it lives somewhere in this chaos as HarmonyOS.
Finally, some housekeeping – below is the list of devices that were announced in this event, coming to your nearest nopestore:
- Huawei Watch 3
- Huawei MatePad Pro
- Huawei M-Pencil
- Huawei MateView Monitor
- Huawei MateView GT Gaming Monitor
- Huawei FreeBuds 4
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See, at the heart of it – I love solving problems for people using tech, it doesn’t get simpler than that.
I am known for constant experimentation and relentless execution.
If I have an idea, it better have a .com at the end of it within the month.
Right now – my focus is to help everyday folks of Pakistan understand tech, career, and business better with everything I do at SK NEXUS
