At the Huawei Developer Conference today, Huawei launched HarmonyOS – a new microkernel-based, distributed operating system designed to deliver a cohesive user experience across all devices and scenarios.
If you’re like me then you’re saying micro-what around about now.
To break it down HarmonyOS is unlike your typical operating system. Most have a “kernel” at their core that does the basics and one kernel services an OS in its entirety.
HarmonyOS is a new way of tackling the OS. It uses a distributed microkernel system that in theory is more secure (you don’t just break into one and own the device), faster – up to 5x by all accounts and will allow for developed apps to scale across any device type using it.
The last one isn’t entirely new but no one has really achieved the holy grail of single dev across everything, so HarmonyOS could be a first there too.
Huawei announced that version 1.0 of HarmonOS would be included in devices such as smart screens later this year but it wouldn’t be using the fully distributed microkernel system alone. Instead it will sit alongside a Linux kernel and work with it before version 2.0 is released in 2020 that does away with it.
At that point Android and the company’s reliance on it could become a thing of the past but it will require a great uptake of the new OS to do so. End-users may have no choice though with the company potentially being forced to move away from Android due to continued licensing issues amidst the US’ ban.
Source: Smartphones, Tablets, PCs, Watches and Broadband | HUAWEI Australia