In today's rapidly changing technology industry, technological advancements in hardware and software have not only changed people's lifestyles, but also continued to reshape the industrial landscape. In this fierce competition in science and technology, Chinese companies are refreshing the global technology map again and again.
As typical representatives, Huawei's HarmonyOS operating system and Nokia's self-developed Mango system have been the epitome of their respective companies' brave exploration of independent innovation. But in the end, the fate was very different: the former managed to advance and expand, while the latter disappeared after a brief period of glory.
This has led people to think: why has HarmonyOS succeeded while Nokia's Mango failed to shake its mainstream status, and will its return pose a threat to Huawei in the future?
The key behind this lies in the systemic advantages of Chinese enterprises in key dimensions such as technological innovation, industrial integration, and user experience, which also points out the direction of future development for other enterprises.
1. Nokia and Huawei's technological innovation
Looking back at the development history of Nokia and Huawei, it is not difficult to find the differences between them in terms of technological innovation.
As a veteran communication equipment giant, Nokia has successively launched mobile phone products based on its self-developed operating system since the 90s of the 20th century, the most famous of which is the Symbian system. This system once dominated the mobile phone market at the time and became the de facto standard in the industry.
However, Nokia's Symbian system has many limitations in terms of functionality and performance, and it is difficult to meet the increasing needs of users. At the same time, compared with Apple's iOS and Google's Android systems, the development environment and ecological construction of the Symbian system are also far behind.
So after the advent of the smartphone era, Nokia lost its dominance and was on the verge of being marginalized. Faced with this dilemma, Nokia finally chose to abandon its self-developed operating system and turned to Microsoft to carry the Windows Phone system. This undoubtedly further exacerbates its dependence on technology and deepens the loss of user stickiness.
In contrast, Huawei's independent innovation initiatives can be described as making great strides. At the critical moment of US sanctions, Huawei resolutely decided to independently develop its operating system, HarmonyOS, and positioned it as a cross-platform, cross-device all-scenario operating system.
From the initial mobile phone terminal to the later computer, vehicle and other multiple terminals, the HarmonyOS system has shown excellent compatibility and adaptability. At the same time, with its excellent performance and ultimate user experience, it not only quickly occupied the domestic market, but also began to attract widespread attention around the world.
This determination and courage to innovate independently is the foundation of Huawei's rise against the trend in the face of adversity. Unlike Nokia, which simply chooses to rely on external platforms, Huawei has chosen an independent and controllable technology path, which has laid a solid foundation for its subsequent breakthroughs in key areas such as chips and operating systems.
Second, the difference in the integration of the industrial chain
In addition to the differences in technological innovation, there are also great differences in the performance of Nokia and Huawei in terms of industrial chain integration.
As a traditional communication equipment manufacturer, Nokia has accumulated rich experience in hardware manufacturing, but it has long maintained external dependence on key links such as upstream component supply and midstream system software. The limitations of this "broken link" of the industrial chain eventually made it suffer a big loss in the competition in the era of smart phones.
For example, in terms of operating system, Nokia chose to cooperate with Microsoft to carry the Windows Phone system, which not only increased the cost of the device, but also could not be compared with the Android system in terms of user experience. At the same time, the Windows Phone system itself lacks strong application ecosystem support, which makes it difficult for Nokia's smartphones to truly integrate into consumer life.
In contrast, Huawei has made great efforts in the integration of the industrial chain. It has not only achieved independent innovation in core technologies such as chips and operating systems, but also established a highly collaborative industrial ecology in supply chain and manufacturing.
One of the most critical aspects of this is Huawei's Kirin chip. This self-developed chip not only integrates powerful ARM architecture processing capabilities, but also integrates self-developed GPU, NPU and other modules, providing strong support for the extreme performance of the HarmonyOS system.
At the same time, with its in-depth layout in the supply chain and manufacturing, Huawei is also able to ensure a stable supply of chips and controllable costs, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of its products under the premise of win-win hardware costs and user experience.
This vertically integrated industrial chain not only enables Huawei's smart device products to have excellent hardware performance, but also unique advantages in key elements such as software and hardware synergy and supply security. It is precisely with these that Huawei is able to maintain a steady pace of innovation in the face of a severe external environment.
3. Considerations of user experience
In addition to the differences in technological innovation and industrial chain integration, there is also a significant gap between Nokia and Huawei's performance in terms of user experience. To a large extent, this determines the success or failure of both companies in the market competition.
Nokia did become the benchmark in the mobile phone industry for a time in the Symbian era, but with the advent of the smartphone era, it has never been able to keep up with the changes in user needs. Problems such as bloated and cumbersome Symbian system and backward operation experience have gradually lost the favor of users. At the same time, the lack of its application ecology has further exacerbated the loss of user stickiness.
In contrast, Huawei's HarmonyOS system has been aimed at new user needs from the beginning. It adopts a lightweight and modular design concept, which can not only quickly adapt to different scenarios, but also far surpass traditional operating systems in terms of fluency and intelligence.
At the same time, the HarmonyOS system also deeply integrates Huawei's accumulation of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, bringing users a new interactive experience. From mobile phones to TVs, vehicles and other devices, the HarmonyOS system can provide highly consistent operating habits and intelligent services, truly realizing seamless integration across screens.
This kind of user-centric innovation is the key to Huawei's victory over Nokia on the battlefield of operating systems. In contrast, Nokia's Symbian system has always struggled to keep up with the changing times and truly meet the evolving needs of users. Once it loses the favor of users, even if it tries to develop independently again, it is difficult to gain market recognition again.
To sum up, Huawei's systemic advantages in core elements such as technological innovation, industry chain integration, and user experience are the fundamental reasons for the success of its HarmonyOS system. This is in stark contrast to Nokia's failures on the Mango system.
For Nokia, it has been a challenging process to make a comeback and try to gain a foothold with its own system. Because it must not only rebuild its own technological competitiveness, but also strive to build a matching industrial ecology and user base.
In contrast, Huawei is undoubtedly a big step ahead. With its deep accumulation in key technologies and industrial chains, it not only has the source power of continuous innovation, but also has the ability to provide users with the ultimate experience in all scenarios. This makes it even more costly for Nokia to pose an effective threat to it in the future.
Overall, the success of Huawei's HarmonyOS system not only reaffirms the strong strength of Chinese enterprises in technological innovation, but also shows the importance of putting user needs at the core. This is a revelation worth pondering for Nokia and other companies.
Only by fully learning from Huawei's experience, insisting on independent innovation, deeply integrating the industrial chain, and always keeping in mind the user-centric approach can enterprises always maintain a leading position in the fierce competition in science and technology. This is not only related to its own development prospects, but also related to the improvement of the country's scientific and technological strength. Let us look forward to the future of science and technology, Chinese enterprises can continue to write a more exciting chapter.