In 2019, an unexpected storm hit Huawei, and the United States launched comprehensive sanctions on it for violating the rules, triggering a series of changes. The first was Google, which resolutely cut off business with Huawei, including GMS. For domestic users, this sanction seems to have little impact, but for foreign users, GMS carries important information such as software, game progress, and App data, which are all destroyed. This sudden sanction has caused Huawei's mobile phones to plummet in overseas markets.
Google, which once advertised "not to be evil", and Android, which once regarded itself as "open source", now cut off the connection between Huawei mobile phones and GMS without hesitation for no reason, which is ironic and shameless.
However, Huawei was not knocked down by this blow. Immediately afterwards, they quickly launched HMS services to try to replace GMS, and also invested $1 billion to attract developers to participate in improving the HMS ecosystem. Subsequently, Huawei announced the release of the Hongmeng operating system, officially breaking with Google. After three years of unremitting efforts, in July 2022, Huawei announced that the number of users of the Harmony System had exceeded 300 million, and the situation of Android, iOS, and Hongmeng was initially formed.
However, as Huawei's mobile phone sales gradually recovered, doubts began to rise. Some netizens believe that Hongmeng is just a "shell Android", not a real domestic system. Huawei did not respond much to this question. In my opinion, the initial choice of compatible Android APP and architecture is to reduce the adaptation cost of developers, on the other hand, to take into account user habits, so as to expand the user base of Harmony system.
However, with the improvement of the Hongmeng ecosystem, Huawei completely cleared all Android code in Hongmeng 3.0 and abandoned the "shell" statement. Huawei obviously has greater determination, and soon, Hongmeng will completely break with Android.
At the recent 2023 Huawei Developer Conference, in addition to the high-profile HarmonyOS 4.0, Huawei also released the HarmonyOS NEXT developer preview. This move aims to allow developers to adapt to the next generation of the upcoming Harmony System in advance. However, surprisingly, many developers found that the HarmonyOS NEXT version no longer supports Android apps, and even when trying to open an Android APK file, they only saw a "Cannot open this file" message.
To put it more bluntly, the next version of HarmonyOS 5.0 will completely abandon the AOSP code and will no longer be compatible with Android applications. Developers must independently develop applications for the Harmony System and pass Huawei's review before they can run on Huawei phones.
This series of initiatives reveals three key messages. First of all, Huawei has dared to abandon the compatibility of Android, which means that the Hongmeng ecology has begun to take shape and is no longer attached to the Android ecosystem. According to the data, the number of Hongmeng ecological equipment has reached 700 million, and the number of developers has exceeded 2.2 million.
Secondly, the future Harmony system will surpass Android in experience and be on par with iOS. Harmony's excellent performance in background multitasking has been proven in tests. Huawei's proud "Ark Engine Technology" can optimize six major engines, including graphics, multimedia, memory, scheduling, storage, and low power consumption, improving performance by 20% and significantly reducing power consumption.
In addition, the existence of the Harmony kernel also constitutes a "firewall" that prevents the United States from collecting user information. Once the next version of the Harmony system completely removes the AOSP code and is no longer compatible with Android applications, this will mean that the fluency, power consumption, and security of the Harmony system will be improved again, and the comprehensive experience is expected to be comparable to iOS.
Foreign media comments go to the heart of the problem: although they plan to steal chickens, they erode rice. The original intention of the United States may be to break Huawei's foothold in overseas markets by cutting off the supply of GMS, but the result is that Huawei not only did not fall, but gave birth to the Hongmeng system, which has become Google's most difficult competitor. What is more worrying is that Huawei's Kirin chip and 5G technology are at an important node, once Kirin chip, 5G
Technology and Hongmeng system form a complete puzzle, Huawei will have a greater advantage, which will be a devastating impact on Google, Apple, Qualcomm, Broadcom and other American companies.
However, Huawei's success has not been smooth sailing. As with any great progress, hard work comes behind it. Huawei has put in tremendous effort and resources in the face of US sanctions and technical challenges. They have invested a lot of R&D resources, carried out several system upgrades and optimizations, gradually eliminated the shadow of Android, and made the Harmony system more independent, stable and efficient.
From the evolution of the Harmony system, we can see that Huawei has not only taken solid steps in technology, but also achieved transformation at the strategic level. They are no longer satisfied with a single hardware sale, but are moving towards ecological construction. In the Harmony ecosystem, the synergy between devices and applications is getting closer and closer, which not only brings a better experience for users, but also benefits developers.
Looking back on this journey, Huawei's determination and courage cannot be ignored. They have not only forged their own path in technological innovation, but also established a strong international image on a global scale. As a Chinese enterprise, they have proved their value and strength with practical actions, constantly surpassing themselves and leading the development of the industry.
In Huawei's story, we see the entrepreneurial spirit of fearless and pursuing excellence, and also see the courage of an enterprise to rise in the face of setbacks. Their achievements are not only the success of an enterprise, but also a symbol of China's scientific and technological strength and an example of global innovation.
In the future, with the further development of the Harmony system, Huawei will continue to challenge the existing technology boundaries and continue to promote industry changes. Whether it is technological breakthroughs or innovation in ecosystem construction, Huawei will continue to write its own legendary story.
To sum up, in the face of US sanctions, Huawei not only did not be knocked down, but through independent innovation and firm belief, it successfully built the Hongmeng ecosystem and achieved a magnificent leap in technology. Their efforts not only give Huawei mobile phones new vitality, but also contribute new ideas and impetus to the development of global science and technology. In this era of fierce competition, Huawei's journey is not only its own success, but also a model of China's innovative power, which will continue to influence and inspire the development of the entire technology industry.
No matter what challenges the future brings, Huawei will continue to be at the forefront of innovation with its tenacity and wisdom. Their stories show us that no matter what adversity we face, with strong faith and hard work, we can create infinite possibilities. Huawei's Hongmeng Road will continue to light the torch of future technology development and shine at the pinnacle of the industry.