Huawei Teams Up with JD.com to Boost HarmonyOS Adoption Amidst Competition with Android and iOS

JD.com, a major Chinese e-commerce player, collaborates with Huawei to develop an app for HarmonyOS Next, Huawei’s proprietary operating system. This move is part of Huawei’s strategy to challenge Android and iOS dominance in China. HarmonyOS is gaining traction, with various Chinese companies joining in its development, aiming to surpass iOS.

Huawei Teams Up with JD.com to Boost HarmonyOS Adoption Amidst Competition with Android and iOS

Huawei Teams Up with JD.com for HarmonyOS, an alternative for Apple iOS, Android in China

In a strategic move to bolster its position against global tech giants Google and Apple in the Chinese market, Huawei Technologies has announced a partnership with Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com. The collaboration aims to further promote the adoption of HarmonyOS, Huawei’s home-grown operating system, as an alternative to Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS.

JD.com to Develop HarmonyOS Next App

Richard Yu Chengdong, CEO of Huawei’s consumer business group, revealed on Wednesday that JD.com will be developing an app for HarmonyOS Next. This upcoming iteration of Huawei’s mobile platform is set to feature intelligence innovations and enhanced support for seamless transitions between various scenarios. Yu emphasized the significance of this partnership, dubbing JD.com as a “heavyweight partner” and marking it as a significant milestone for HarmonyOS.

HarmonyOS Poised to Surpass iOS in China

Huawei is actively pursuing the wider adoption of HarmonyOS, and recent projections by Canadian research firm TechInsights suggest that it could surpass Apple’s iOS as the second-largest operating system in China this year. While Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS continue to dominate the global smartphone operating system sector, Huawei’s HarmonyOS is expected to make substantial gains in China, driven by the resurgence of Huawei’s smartphone business with the Mate 60 series.

HarmonyOS Development Timeline

HarmonyOS was introduced in August 2019 as an Android alternative, a strategic move following Huawei’s inclusion in the US Entity List. The trade blacklist restricts Huawei from acquiring software, chips, and other US-origin technologies without approval from Washington. HarmonyOS is set to reach a milestone in 2024 with the launch of HarmonyOS Next, which notably will not support Android-based apps. A developer preview of HarmonyOS Next is slated for the first quarter of 2024, with Huawei collaborating with major Chinese companies to develop native apps for the system.

Growing Support from Chinese Internet Companies

Several Chinese internet companies are joining hands with Huawei to contribute to the growth of HarmonyOS. Ant Group, the fintech affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding, announced the development of a new version of its mobile payment app Alipay based on HarmonyOS. Other major players such as NetEase, Meituan, and McDonald’s China have also embarked on the journey to develop native apps for HarmonyOS, signaling a broad industry shift towards Huawei’s operating system.

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