Huawei Launches First Laptop Running HarmonyOS After Windows Licence Expiry

Huawei Technologies has unveiled its first laptop powered by its self-developed HarmonyOS, marking a major shift after the expiration of its Microsoft Windows licence in March.

Credit: HUAWEI

The new device, which will be officially launched on May 19, runs HarmonyOS 5, also known as HarmonyOS Next. It was announced by Huawei President of Tablets and PCs Zhu Dongdong during a closed-door event in Shenzhen, Guangdong province.

The laptop features Huawei’s AI assistant, Celia, which can create slides, summarise meeting minutes, and retrieve information from local documents, depending on third-party software access.

HarmonyOS on PCs includes a suite of Chinese software such as WPS, a Microsoft Office alternative, and Alibaba’s enterprise platform DingTalk.

The device also supports a growing number of mobile apps from HarmonyOS smartphones, including RedNote, Bilibili, and ByteDance’s Feishu. It is expected to support more than 2,000 apps by the end of the year.

The user interface blends elements of traditional PCs and smartphones, with a shortcut bar similar to Apple’s macOS Dock and a home screen displaying icons, cards, and folders.

Huawei began developing HarmonyOS in 2015. The company launched its first HarmonyOS-only smartphone, the Mate 70 series, last year, followed by the foldable Pura X in March.

At least 160 older Huawei devices, including smartphones, tablets, TVs, and wearables, can now be updated to HarmonyOS.

HarmonyOS gained a 19% market share in China’s smartphone market from October to December, surpassing Apple’s iOS at 17%, according to Counterpoint Research. Android remained dominant with a 64% share.

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• Huawei to launch HarmonyOS laptop on May 19

• Device features AI assistant Celia and Chinese software like WPS and DingTalk

• HarmonyOS expected to support over 2,000 apps by year-end

Source: SCMP