Huawei Plans Gradual Global Expansion of HarmonyOS, Says Richard Yu

Huawei's executive Richard Yu outlines a step-by-step global rollout of HarmonyOS, aiming to expand its ecosystem slowly across multiple device categories.

Huawei is taking a measured approach to expanding its HarmonyOS operating system on a global scale. Richard Yu, Huawei’s executive director, chairman of the Investment Advisory Board, and head of its consumer business, recently discussed the company’s plans for the global version of HarmonyOS. According to Yu, Huawei intends to gradually extend HarmonyOS worldwide, acknowledging that the process will take time. Huawei views HarmonyOS as an ecosystem alongside major operating systems like Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android, designed to support a broad range of intelligent devices and hardware. The company has already broadened HarmonyOS’s application from initial devices such as smartphones, tablets, and wearables to now include personal computers and smart cars. This shift represents a strategic move by Huawei to deepen its control over an integrated software ecosystem amid ongoing global technology competition. However, the timeline for full global adoption remains cautious, with Huawei emphasizing a slow, step-by-step rollout to establish HarmonyOS’s presence beyond its current markets.