A few days ago, Huawei unveiled the final and stable version of HarmonyOS. This final product looks a lot like Android, down to its Easter Eggs. From an interface and code point of view, HarmonyOS is a simple fork of Android, i.e. a new software based on the source code of an existing software. In this case: AOSP (Android Open Source Project).
Moreover, HarmonOS is able to run an application originally developed for Android without any difficulty, confirming the accusations of Huawei’s detractors. In order to defend itself from having simply imitated AOSP, the Chinese group has taken to the skies.
HUAWEI WANTS A SMOOTH TRANSITION FROM ANDROID TO HARMONYOS
Eric Xu, the current president of Huawei, addressed the Chinese developer community in a statement. “In order to protect the digital assets of existing users of Huawei cell phones and tablets, HarmonyOS 2 allows existing Android applications to run on certain devices equipped with the system,” says Eric Xu. In concrete terms, Huawei wants to smooth the transition from Android to HarmonyOS.
Initially, the manufacturer has no choice but to allow Android applications to run on its modular OS. If Huawei had developed an entirely new operating system without relying on the foundations of Android, the range of compatible applications on its devices via AppGallery would have been very meager. In this case, Huawei would have been forced to build up its ecosystem for several more years before it could hope to attract users. In the end, the current approach of the Chinese manufacturer allows to accelerate the transition.