Huawei has finally announced the HarmonyOS Next, giving fans what to expect from its new OS.
The Chinese giant first unveiled the creation at HDC 2024. The HarmonyOS Next is based on HarmonyOS but comes with a boatload of improvements, new features, and capabilities. One of the main focal points of the system is the removal of the Linux kernel and Android Open Source Project codebase, with Huawei planning to make the HarmonyOS NEXT entirely compatible with apps specifically created for the OS. Huawei’s Richard Yu has confirmed that there are already 15,000 apps and services under HarmonyOS, noting that the number will grow bigger and bigger.
As mentioned in the past, Huawei also aims to create a unified system that will allow users to effortlessly transition from one device to another when using apps.
Needless to say, Huawei has injected other impressive features other than that. In its official announcement, the giant shared some of the best capabilities of the HarmonyOS Next.
- It features 3D interactive emojis, which change emotions when users shake their devices.
- Wallpaper assistance can adjust the color and position of the clock to match the elements of the chosen photo.
- Its Xiaoyi (AKA Celia globally) AI assistant is now smarter and can be easily launched via voice and other methods. It also provides better suggestions based on users’ needs and activities. Image support via drag-and-drop motion also lets the AI recognize the context of the photo.
- Its AI image editor can remove unnecessary elements in the background and fill in the removed parts. It also supports image background expansion.
- Huawei claims that the HarmonyOS Next provides better calls enhanced by AI.
- Users can instantly share files (similar to Apple Airdrop) by placing their devices close to each other. The feature supports sending to multiple receivers.
- Cross-device collaboration allows users to access the same files through different connected devices.
- Unified control lets users stream videos from their phones to bigger screens and provides the necessary controls.
- The security of the HarmonyOS Next is based on the Star Shield security architecture. According to Huawei, this means (a) “application can only access the data you choose, without worrying about over-authorization,” (b) “unreasonable permissions are strictly prohibited,” and (c) “applications that do not meet security requirements cannot be put on the shelf, installed, or run.” It also provides record transparency to users, giving them access to see which data has been accessed and how long it has been viewed.
- The Ark Engine improves the device’s overall performance. According to Huawei, through HarmonyOS Next, the overall machine fluency is enhanced by 30%, battery life is raised by 56 minutes, and the available memory is increased by 1.5GB.
As per Huawei, the public beta version of HarmonyOS Next is now available to users in China. However, it is important to note that support is limited to the Pura 70 series, Huawei Pocket 2, and MatePad Pro 11 (2024).
