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Channel Post MEA
20-05-2025
- Business
- Channel Post MEA
Huawei Unveils HarmonyOS Laptops, Charting a New Course in PC Market
Huawei has officially launched its new line of laptops powered by its proprietary HarmonyOS, marking a significant milestone in the company's ambition for technological self-sufficiency and a direct challenge to the dominance of Windows and macOS. The unveiling, which included models like the MateBook Pro and the innovative MateBook Fold Ultimate Design, signals a new era for Huawei's PC strategy. The MateBook Pro, a conventional clamshell laptop, and the highly anticipated MateBook Fold Ultimate Design, a foldable device that expands to an 18-inch OLED screen, are the first to run HarmonyOS 5. This latest iteration of Huawei's homegrown operating system is no longer reliant on Android Open Source Project code, representing a complete in-house development effort. Industry observers note that this strategic pivot was accelerated by ongoing U.S. restrictions, which led to the expiration of Huawei's Windows licenses. Huawei has invested heavily in HarmonyOS since its initial launch in 2019, pouring resources into R&D and securing over 2,700 core patents for the PC version. The company reports that HarmonyOS is already running on over 900 million devices globally and has surpassed iOS in market share within China's mobile OS landscape. Key features of the new HarmonyOS laptops include seamless cross-device integration with Huawei's ecosystem of smartphones and tablets, advanced AI capabilities through the Xiaoyi AI Assistant for tasks like document summarization, and enhanced privacy controls. Huawei also highlighted the rapid expansion of the HarmonyOS PC application ecosystem, projecting support for over 2,000 applications by the end of 2025. This move is not just about new products; it represents China's broader drive for technological independence in critical IT sectors. 0 0
The Hindu
20-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Huawei launches first laptops using home-grown Harmony operating system
Huawei launched two new laptop models on Monday, the first sold with its own Harmony operating system, in a bid to take on well-established Western Big Tech rivals even as the United States seeks to limit its access to crucial chips. Despite its emergence as the world's leading producer of tech hardware, China's development of computer operating systems has lagged behind Microsoft and Apple, whose Windows and macOS have cornered the global market for decades. The new MateBook Fold and MateBook Pro both run on HarmonyOS 5, the latest version of an operating system Huawei Technologies began developing in 2015 and introduced five years later on its Mate series smartphones. It began developing the laptop prototypes in 2021. "The Harmony laptop gives the world a new choice," Yu Chengdong, head of Huawei's consumer business group, said during a livestreamed launch event. "We kept on doing the hard things but the right things." The base model of the MateBook Fold, which does not have a physical keyboard and offers an 18-inch OLED double screen when fully extended, will sell for 23,999 yuan ($3,328). The MateBook Pro model, which uses a conventional laptop keyboard, is priced from 7,999 yuan. Washington began restricting Huawei's access to U.S. technology in 2019 over national security concerns, pushing the company to build its own capacity to develop and produce chips and operating systems. Huawei said the HarmonyOS for computers currently offers over 150 applications, including WPS Office from Kingsoft - an alternative to Microsoft's Office - and photo editing app Meitu Xiu Xiu. By the end of 2024, over 7.2 million individual developers were developing apps for HarmonyOS, which was installed on over a billion devices, including smartphones and TVs, according to Huawei's latest annual report. Huawei did not disclose which processing chip it had used to power the newly-launched laptops. But it said the computers' relatively high prices were the result of the cost of new manufacturing technology for the chipset. Huawei did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the chip. Reuters reported last year that the U.S. revoked licences that had allowed companies including Intel and Qualcomm to ship chips used for laptops and handsets to Huawei. Republican lawmakers had been angered by the launch of Huawei's first AI-enabled laptop, which was powered by an Intel processor.
Khaleej Times
20-05-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Huawei launches first laptops using home-grown Harmony operating system
Huawei launched two new laptop models on Monday, the first sold with its own Harmony operating system, in a bid to take on well-established Western Big Tech rivals even as the United States seeks to limit its access to crucial chips. Despite its emergence as the world's leading producer of tech hardware, China's development of computer operating systems has lagged behind Microsoft and Apple, whose Windows and macOS have cornered the global market for decades. The new MateBook Fold and MateBook Pro both run on HarmonyOS 5, the latest version of an operating system Huawei Technologies began developing in 2015 and introduced five years later on its Mate series smartphones. It began developing the laptop prototypes in 2021. "The Harmony laptop gives the world a new choice," Yu Chengdong, head of Huawei's consumer business group, said during a livestreamed launch event. "We kept on doing the hard things but the right things." The base model of the MateBook Fold, which does not have a physical keyboard and offers an 18-inch OLED double screen when fully extended, will sell for 23,999 yuan ($3,328). The MateBook Pro model, which uses a conventional laptop keyboard, is priced from 7,999 yuan. Washington began restricting Huawei's access to U.S. technology in 2019 over national security concerns, pushing the company to build its own capacity to develop and produce chips and operating systems. Huawei said the HarmonyOS for computers currently offers over 150 applications, including WPS Office from Kingsoft - an alternative to Microsoft's Office - and photo editing app Meitu Xiu Xiu. By the end of 2024, over 7.2 million individual developers were developing apps for HarmonyOS, which was installed on over a billion devices, including smartphones and TVs, according to Huawei's latest annual report. Huawei did not disclose which processing chip it had used to power the newly-launched laptops. But it said the computers' relatively high prices were the result of the cost of new manufacturing technology for the chipset. Huawei did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the chip. Reuters reported last year that the U.S. revoked licences that had allowed companies including Intel and Qualcomm to ship chips used for laptops and handsets to Huawei. Republican lawmakers had been angered by the launch of Huawei's first AI-enabled laptop, which was powered by an Intel processor.
Indian Express
20-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Huawei launches first laptops using home-grown Harmony operating system
Huawei launched two new laptop models on Monday, the first sold with its own Harmony operating system, in a bid to take on well-established Western Big Tech rivals even as the United States seeks to limit its access to crucial chips. Despite its emergence as the world's leading producer of tech hardware, China's development of computer operating systems has lagged behind Microsoft and Apple, whose Windows and macOS have cornered the global market for decades. The new MateBook Fold and MateBook Pro both run on HarmonyOS 5, the latest version of an operating system Huawei Technologies began developing in 2015 and introduced five years later on its Mate series smartphones. It began developing the laptop prototypes in 2021. 'The Harmony laptop gives the world a new choice,' Yu Chengdong, head of Huawei's consumer business group, said during a livestreamed launch event. 'We kept on doing the hard things but the right things.' The base model of the MateBook Fold, which does not have a physical keyboard and offers an 18-inch OLED double screen when fully extended, will sell for 23,999 yuan ($3,328). The MateBook Pro model, which uses a conventional laptop keyboard, is priced from 7,999 yuan. Washington began restricting Huawei's access to U.S. technology in 2019 over national security concerns, pushing the company to build its own capacity to develop and produce chips and operating systems. Huawei said the HarmonyOS for computers currently offers over 150 applications, including WPS Office from Kingsoft – an alternative to Microsoft's Office – and photo editing app Meitu Xiu Xiu. By the end of 2024, over 7.2 million individual developers were developing apps for HarmonyOS, which was installed on over a billion devices, including smartphones and TVs, according to Huawei's latest annual report. Huawei did not disclose which processing chip it had used to power the newly-launched laptops. But it said the computers' relatively high prices were the result of the cost of new manufacturing technology for the chipset. Huawei did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the chip. Reuters reported last year that the U.S. revoked licences that had allowed companies including Intel and Qualcomm to ship chips used for laptops and handsets to Huawei. Republican lawmakers had been angered by the launch of Huawei's first AI-enabled laptop, which was powered by an Intel processor.
Arabian Post
19-05-2025
- Business
- Arabian Post
Huawei Unveils HarmonyOS Laptops, Signalling Shift from Western Tech
Huawei has launched its first laptops powered by its proprietary HarmonyOS 5, marking a significant move away from reliance on U.S. technologies. The newly introduced MateBook Fold and MateBook Pro models aim to challenge the dominance of Microsoft's Windows and Apple's macOS in the global PC market. The MateBook Fold, priced at 23,999 yuan , features an 18-inch OLED foldable screen without a physical keyboard, catering to users seeking a versatile, tablet-like experience. In contrast, the MateBook Pro, starting at 7,999 yuan, offers a traditional laptop design with a physical keyboard, targeting professionals and everyday users. Both models run on HarmonyOS 5, an operating system Huawei began developing in 2015 and first introduced on its smartphones in 2020. HarmonyOS 5 is designed to provide seamless integration across Huawei's ecosystem of devices, including smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches. The operating system boasts over 150 native applications, such as WPS Office and Meitu's Xiu Xiu photo editing app, offering alternatives to popular Western software. Huawei reports that HarmonyOS is now installed on over a billion devices globally, with more than 7.2 million developers contributing to its app ecosystem. The launch of HarmonyOS-powered laptops comes in response to U.S. sanctions imposed in 2019, which restricted Huawei's access to critical technologies from companies like Intel and Qualcomm. These sanctions prompted Huawei to accelerate the development of its own chips and operating systems to reduce dependency on foreign technology. While Huawei has not disclosed the specific processors used in the new laptops, industry observers speculate that the devices may be powered by the company's in-house Kirin X90 chip, designed to meet China's national cryptography standards. See also Oman Deepens AI Investment to Propel Digital Economy Security and privacy are central to HarmonyOS 5, which features Huawei's StarShield security architecture. The operating system includes real-name developer authentication, app store signature verification, and strict permissions for screen recording and screenshots. A 'super privacy mode' disables the camera, microphone, and location access system-wide, and chip-level full-disk encryption ensures that data remains secure even if the hard drive is removed. HarmonyOS 5 also introduces advanced artificial intelligence capabilities through Huawei's virtual assistant, Celia. Built on the company's proprietary Pangu large language model, Celia can perform tasks such as summarizing documents, preparing presentation slides, and retrieving information from local files. The AI assistant is integrated across the operating system, providing contextual understanding and personalized services based on user behavior. The debut of HarmonyOS laptops is seen as a milestone in China's efforts to achieve technological self-sufficiency. Analysts suggest that the move could reduce reliance on Western operating systems and enhance the resilience of China's PC industry against external uncertainties. However, the success of HarmonyOS in the global market may depend on the expansion of its app ecosystem and the operating system's ability to meet the diverse needs of international users. Huawei's focus on the Chinese market is evident, with the HarmonyOS laptops currently available exclusively in China. By concentrating on its home market, Huawei aims to refine the HarmonyOS experience and build a strong user base before considering international expansion. This strategic approach allows the company to address specific needs and preferences of Chinese users while strengthening its position in a key market.
