Huawei has unveiled its own operating system, called Harmony OS, and has shown the first Honor TV sets with the OS.
Harmony OS has been in development for several years. Following potential problems with access to Google’s Android OS, Huawei seems to have stepped up efforts to introduce its own OS.
The company will show off Harmony OS on the Honor Vision TV, but for now, Android remains the preferred mobile OS for Huawei smartphones and tablets.
Harmony is designed to work on devices from tablets, phones, smartwatches, cars and other devices including smart TVs.
Huawei doesn’t want to abandon Android, saying it wanted to keep working with its American partners. Switching to Harmony would only happen if Huawei was forbidden to use Android, according to Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei’s Business Group.
Huawei has announced its first HarmonyOS-powered devices: a pair of smart TVs called the Honor Vision and Honor Vision Pro, which will go on sale in China next week.
The TVs include Huawei’s Honghu 818 chipset, an octa-core processor which will process the images seen on screen. They’ll also include a 55-inch, 4K display, and can be used as a smart home hub, according to Gadgets360. The screens will be able to provide viewers with information about the weather and can track packages, and can be controlled with a smartphone.
When the TVs go on sale on August 15, the Honor Vision will cost ¥3,799 (approximately EUR500), while the Honor Vision Pro will retail for ¥4,799 (approximately EUR620).
