Weekly poll results: HarmonyOS shows early promise

13 June 2021
Huawei's new mobile OS looks promising, but it needs to create its own identity separate from Android.

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  • b
  • blue.sun
  • 0CN
  • 13 Jun 2021

dbjungle, 13 Jun 2021I like how there are no inbetween options.That's why I haven't voted this time.
Harmony OS looks promising, from the technical point of view. However, market success is something different and there it would end just like Windows Phone or Sailfish. No apps, no support, no chance.

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    • Ms89
    • pwu
    • 13 Jun 2021

    Go go Huawei 👑💪🥇

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      • Andres
      • X$2
      • 13 Jun 2021

      Huawei has one option to get out of this mess: Make the bootloader easily unlockable and give all the source code to developers, so that developers like LineageOS and Pixel Experience team can easily create custom ROMs for Huawei devices. That is the only situation where I would even consider buying a Huawei phone.

        • ?
        • Anonymous
        • rK{
        • 13 Jun 2021

        Calm down. It takes time to develop to develop an independent OS. It took 10+ yrs of time to move from Nokia->IPhone 3Gs->Modern UI.

        Now, we have constant bickering of people who don't have expertise on the subject reading the headlines and passing the judgement.
        Source-A CS major Developer

          Kangal, 13 Jun 2021Clearly there's a bias here. There's nothing &qu... morenot interesting because their products smartwatch, TV, tablet, laptop, etc all of it is pricey..

            Kangal, 13 Jun 2021Clearly there's a bias here. There's nothing &qu... moreOh christ. Typical long and wrong from you. Different kernel, AOSP layer (for now). Or are you telling me that it took years to make working Android 10 work?

              • ?
              • Anonymous
              • rAe
              • 13 Jun 2021

              TheLastOracle, 13 Jun 2021Users the world over have been looking for alternatives to ... moreUse Librem/Linux then, 700$/2100$ price

                • d
                • dfsd
                • nDy
                • 13 Jun 2021

                At the bottom of harmney OS is android, and for both is Linux kernel..so

                  Clearly there's a bias here.
                  There's nothing "promising" about Huawei and their Hongmeng/Harmony/HuaweiOS. This is a Google Android 10 OS, without the Google Services. You could already get that through Custom Roms if you wanted to. They simply took the years of work that has been done by the Linux community (kernel), by Google (AOSP), and by other OEMs (eg Sony's contributions, etc etc), they didn't acknowledge these facts, and they replaced the easy parts.

                  While it is true that each type of Phone with tis Android version is technically it's own Operating System (eg OneUI, MIUI, FlymeOS, OxygenOS, etc etc). They aren't merely just themes, but very identical software/systems. From that perspective, it is true that HarmonyOS is technically a "new" Operating System. However, what Huawei promised us/hyped up was a "proper" new OS. That is definitely not what we got. What we have is a "fork of Android".

                  In other words, all the important stuff has been done (eg the skeleton and organs), and Huawei has merely added the last bits on top (eg the meat and skin). If you want an analogy, it would be like a 2020 Mercedes-Benz X-Class, compared to a 2020 Nissan Navara, where Merc took the engine, transmission, and chassis from Nissan, then merely changed the styling, entertainment, and other miscellaneous things. If you want a direct comparison, it is like Amazon's Fire Tablets (FireOS fork) compared to Samsung's Tab-S (OneUI).

                  I am not surprised. I called this out more than a year ago. The fans rejected it. And yet, here we are. To say that it disappointing is an understatement, I wanted Huawei to be actually innovative. Either start something from the ground-up, or to acquire the talent and rights to another project (for example, Jolla's SailFish OS) and adapt that to their devices.

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                    • Anonymous
                    • fIP
                    • 13 Jun 2021

                    ae86, 13 Jun 2021If Huawei wanted Harmony to truly blow up, first they have ... morethat's because they are backed by a trillion dollar company... when you are making apps for a trillion dollar company and a small but rich userbase, you will surely splurge more money into it because you will get more profits..

                      SMIRNAS, 13 Jun 2021HarmonyOS looks soo promising,, just like Windows Phone,... moreSymbian Belle was better OS than any other in market at that time. Same goes to Windows Phone. Android was junk then and is barely usable now. Never used iOS, so I won't comment about that.

                        • s
                        • skedge
                        • rN7
                        • 13 Jun 2021

                        TheLastOracle, 13 Jun 2021Users the world over have been looking for alternatives to ... morelike any Huawei OS would be truly open source and wouldn’t be hooked into a surveillance state, right

                          dbjungle, 13 Jun 2021I like how there are no inbetween options.GSM likes polarising views

                            I like how there are no inbetween options.

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                              • An0n
                              • tDP
                              • 13 Jun 2021

                              SMIRNAS, 13 Jun 2021HarmonyOS looks soo promising,, just like Windows Phone,... morePromising, just like Android.

                              Really, why they have to say it's not android? Meanwhile fireos in it's official documentation states that they are based on Android. If only Huawei admits that they are creating specific android os for their own products, it's okay, all manufacturers do. Problem is when you said it's not android, but in reality it is, with everything about android is scrubbed and changed to HarmonyOS. Jeez...

                                HarmonyOS looks soo promising,,

                                just like Windows Phone, Blackberry and Nokia OS

                                  • a
                                  • ae86
                                  • vaS
                                  • 13 Jun 2021

                                  If Huawei wanted Harmony to truly blow up, first they have to upgrade the apps in appgallery. Otherwise the apps will not be different from the android ones.

                                  Just takew a look at the iOS apps compared to the android ones, it's well optimized and somehow the UI is much more better. I'm talking apps like for arts, social medias, editing apps and even messaging apps like messenger is better in iOS than the one on android.

                                    Users the world over have been looking for alternatives to iOS and Android. If it wasn't for shee's Asian expansionist plans, a lot of people would actually look forward to moving to newer operating systems and app ecosystems.
                                    It would be great to have a truly open source system, without being locked in perpetual surveillance state type of corporate super giants.

                                      • D
                                      • AnonD-986036
                                      • tDQ
                                      • 13 Jun 2021

                                      Hope Huawei ohones can be recommended as soon as possible.

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                                        • Anonymous
                                        • TL%
                                        • 13 Jun 2021

                                        Good. Hopefully it will diverge into its own thing while still being compatible with Android apps. And other vendors can get involved to develop it and use it on their phones.

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