The most recent section of the cell OS wars isn’t being fought over app shops or person interfaces – it’s being waged with synthetic intelligence. Huawei’s newest salvo comes within the type of HarmonyOS 6, wherein AI brokers aren’t options however the structure driving person interactions.
The beta launch to builders indicators a broader business shift the place working methods remodel from passive platforms into what are being framed as clever intermediaries that anticipate, study, and act on behalf of customers.
The AI-first strategy defines the newest launch
The centrepiece of HarmonyOS 6 lies in its AI brokers framework, which lets builders create automated programmes with out the complexity of constructing or coaching basis fashions from scratch.
The HarmonyOS Agent Framework makes an attempt to make AI growth extra accessible in Huawei’s ecosystem.
Richard Yu Chengdong, chairman of Huawei’s shopper enterprise group, has introduced that greater than 50 AI brokers from established Chinese language platforms together with Weibo and Ximalaya shall be out there when HarmonyOS 6 launches to shoppers.
Nonetheless, Yu didn’t specify a public launch date throughout a developer convention presentation held on Friday.
The AI brokers integration develops an business pattern the place working methods grow to be platforms for synthetic intelligence deployment somewhat than utility launchers. By embedding AI capabilities straight into the OS layer, Huawei positions HarmonyOS 6 as a basis for what the corporate calls next-generation computing experiences.
Ecosystem metrics present regular progress
The platform has eight million registered builders and hosts greater than 30,000 functions and “atomic providers” – light-weight programmes that run with out set up. HarmonyOS 5 operates on greater than 40 gadget fashions, indicating regular {hardware} adoption.
Yu acknowledged the aggressive panorama, stating that HarmonyOS nonetheless lags behind Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android by way of international attain and utility help.
“However the prime 5,000 apps accounted for 99.9 per cent of shopper time spent” on Huawei units, he mentioned, suggesting the corporate prioritises important functions over complete app amount.
The pragmatic strategy displays Huawei’s understanding that ecosystem success relies on high quality and person engagement somewhat than purely numerical metrics. The deal with core functions that drive person behaviour signifies a mature technique to compete with established platforms.
Pangu AI fashions goal industrial functions
Huawei has additionally launched Pangu 5.5, the newest within the household of AI fashions designed for enterprise and industrial makes use of. The pure language processing mannequin comprises 718 billion parameters, whereas the pc imaginative and prescient mannequin options 15 billion parameters – specs that place these fashions competitively within the present AI panorama.
The corporate is focusing on 5 specialised sectors: drugs, finance, governance, manufacturing, and automotive. The economic focus suggests Huawei is utilizing AI growth to strengthen its enterprise relationships whereas shopper market entry stays constrained by geopolitical components.
The AI mannequin’s integration with HarmonyOS 6 creates a vertically built-in stack the place Huawei controls each the AI infrastructure and the working system deployment, doubtlessly providing benefits in optimisation and efficiency.
Market trajectory and strategic implications
Based on consultancy Canalys, Huawei has shipped greater than 103 million smartphones and 21 million tablets operating HarmonyOS, with practically half delivered in 2024. The acceleration signifies rising inner adoption and suggests the platform is gaining momentum in China’s domestic market.
The corporate has expanded HarmonyOS past cell units, launching two laptops with the working system final month. The multi-device technique goals to create a unified software program expertise just like Apple’s ecosystem strategy, although execution in various {hardware} classes presents important technical challenges.
The HarmonyOS 6 growth displays Huawei’s broader transformation from a hardware-focused firm to a software program and providers supplier. The evolution, pushed by US Entity Checklist restrictions since 2019, has compelled revolutionary approaches to expertise growth and market positioning.
See additionally: Huawei Supernode 384 disrupts Nvidia’s AI market hold
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Wish to study extra about AI and large information from business leaders? Try AI & Big Data Expo going down in Amsterdam, California, and London. The great occasion is co-located with different main occasions together with Intelligent Automation Conference, BlockX, Digital Transformation Week, and Cyber Security & Cloud Expo.
Discover different upcoming enterprise expertise occasions and webinars powered by TechForge here.
