The HarmonyOS system was once expected to be high, but the market performance has been sluggish recently
In the past, Huawei's self-developed HarmonyOS was seen as an important part of challenging the monopoly of Android and iOS. As a representative of the domestic operating system, the Hongmeng system once attracted much attention and was expected to open up a new world in the world. Recently released market data is a big surprise - the market share of the HarmonyOS system has slipped to a low of only 1%.
This number is undoubtedly a heavy blow on the road to the development of the HarmonyOS system. As the culmination of Huawei's years of hard work, the HarmonyOS system was originally positioned to create a full-scenario operating system, covering mobile phones, tablets, TVs, vehicles and other fields. Huawei's senior management has repeatedly emphasized the distributed capabilities of the HarmonyOS system, cross-terminal experience, and deep integration of artificial intelligence, which is regarded as Huawei's "life-saving straw" under US sanctions.
The reality is much harder than expected. Although Huawei has a large user base at home and abroad, it will still take a long time for users to fully embrace and switch to a new operating system ecosystem. What's more fatal is that the Honor mobile phone, which was once regarded as the most solid supporter of the HarmonyOS system, chose to continue to use the Android system after being spun off from Huawei, which is undoubtedly a heavy blow to the development of the HarmonyOS system.
In the face of such a sluggish market performance, does the HarmonyOS system still have a chance to make a comeback? How will Huawei adjust its development strategy? These questions are worthy of further discussion.
Glory's abandonment of HarmonyOS has become a major blow, and Android and iOS are still dominant
One of the main reasons for the decline in the market share of the HarmonyOS system is that Honor phones, which were once regarded as the most solid supporters of HarmonyOS, chose to continue to use Android after being spun off from Huawei. This undoubtedly dealt a heavy blow to the development of the HarmonyOS system.
As Huawei's former sub-brand, Honor mobile phones have always been the main models of the HarmonyOS system. In the process of Huawei's promotion of the HarmonyOS system, Honor can be said to have contributed a lot. However, since Honor spun off from Huawei in November 2021, the new model has fully adopted Android and launched its own MagicOS system.
Zhao Ming, an honor executive, once said that for MagicOS, Hongmeng, Android, and iOS solve the underlying driver problem, and it is no longer very important to MagicOS. Honor is more focused on human-centric, AI-driven operating systems. This is undoubtedly a signal that Honor has completely abandoned the HarmonyOS system.
Honor's decision is undoubtedly a heavy blow to the development of the HarmonyOS system in the field of mobile phones. After all, Honor used to be the main mobile phone camp of the Hongmeng system, and its abandonment means that the main force of the Hongmeng system in the mobile phone market no longer exists.
On the other hand, Android and iOS operating systems still dominate the mobile phone market. According to the latest data, in the quarter of 2023, the global market share of Android is as high as 78%, and the share of iOS is 20%, and the two together have a market share of 98%. In the face of such a strong competitor, it is difficult for the HarmonyOS system to shake its monopoly position in the short term.
Consumer acceptance of emerging operating systems at home and abroad is also a challenge. Users who have been using Android or iOS for a long time are accustomed to its well-established ecosystem and application environment, and it is not easy to completely switch to a new system. This requires the HarmonyOS system to invest in ecological construction and application adaptation.
Coupled with the decline in the market share of Huawei's mobile phones, this has also affected the promotion of the HarmonyOS system to a certain extent. Huawei mobile phones used to be the main carrier of the HarmonyOS system, and the shrinking market share will undoubtedly drag down the development of the HarmonyOS system.
Despite this, the HarmonyOS system still has a certain performance in the domestic market. According to the data, in the quarter of 2022, the share of the HarmonyOS system in the domestic mobile phone market reached 8%, becoming the largest mobile phone operating system in China. This is mainly due to Huawei's high appeal among domestic user groups, as well as the layout of the HarmonyOS system in the Internet of Things, automotive and other fields.
Factors such as the abandonment and betrayal of Honor, the monopoly position of Android iOS, the obstacles to the transformation of consumer habits, and the decline in the market share of Huawei mobile phones are all important reasons for the sluggish performance of the HarmonyOS market. To achieve a breakthrough, Hongmeng still needs to make great efforts in ecological construction, application adaptation, and user education.
The HarmonyOS system is facing many challenges, but there are still prospects for development in the era of the Internet of Things
The main challenges currently faced by the HarmonyOS system are as follows:
The Android and iOS operating systems have established a long-term monopoly in the mobile phone market, occupying absolute dominance. It will be very difficult to shake its position in this area in the short term.
The betrayal of Honor, an important camp, undoubtedly brought a heavy blow to the development of the HarmonyOS system in the field of mobile phones. Without the support of the main models, the ecological construction of the mobile phone of the HarmonyOS system will face many obstacles.
Consumers have formed a habit of using Android or iOS systems for a long time, and it will take a long process to completely switch to the new system, which puts forward higher requirements for the HarmonyOS system in terms of user education and habit formation.
The decline in the market share of Huawei's mobile phones has also affected and restricted the promotion of the HarmonyOS system to a certain extent. After all, the mobile phone is the most important carrier terminal of the HarmonyOS system.
Although it faces many obstacles in the mobile phone market, the HarmonyOS system still has certain development prospects in emerging fields such as the Internet of Things and vehicles.
In the era of the Internet of Things, various smart terminal devices will become increasingly popular, putting forward new requirements for the distributed capabilities of the operating system and the seamless experience across terminals. And the HarmonyOS system was born to meet this need.
Taking the automotive industry as an example, more and more car companies have begun to incorporate the HarmonyOS system into their in-vehicle system solutions. Huawei has reached cooperation with Mercedes-Benz, GAC, and other car companies to jointly promote the development and application of in-vehicle HarmonyOS systems.
In the fields of smart home and wearable devices, the HarmonyOS system is also expected to give full play to its distributed advantages to provide users with a smarter and more seamless cross-terminal experience.
To truly make breakthroughs in these emerging fields, the HarmonyOS system still needs to invest in ecological construction, developer support, application adaptation, etc., to attract more partners to join. After all, the vitality of the operating system lies in the prosperity of the ecosystem.
Although the HarmonyOS system has encountered severe challenges in the mobile phone market, in the era of the Internet of Things, the distributed operating system still has broad development prospects. Whether Huawei can seize this opportunity will determine the future fate of the HarmonyOS system.
We also call on the entire industry to work together to promote the diversified development of the operating system ecosystem. Diversification in the field of operating systems is conducive to industry innovation, avoiding monopolies, and better meeting the needs of different user groups. Whether it is HarmonyOS, MagicOS, or other emerging systems, as long as they have innovation and vitality, they should be given a fair chance.