Huawei's long-awaited Windows challenger will likely come to PCs this year — HarmonyOS Next makes the transition from phones to desktops and laptops

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An Android-free HarmonyOS inches closer to finality.

Huawei
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

According to industry analysts, Huawei is expected to release a PC version of its HarmonyOS Next operating system before the end of the year. Huawei's developer website is seeing a growth in images featuring HarmonyOS running on PC, as spotted by X (formerly Twitter) user and HarmonyOS developer jasonwill101 on X.

HarmonyOS is Huawei's operating system for its phones and tablets. It was created in 2019 after heavy U.S. sanctions forced Huawei out of the United States and blocked its access to the Android operating system. HarmonyOS is based heavily on the open-source version of Android (AOSP) but was far enough away for Huawei to be able to continue producing its high-end smartphones.

HarmonyOS Next, on the other hand, is an Android-free variant of HarmonyOS. The new operating system doesn't use AOSP libraries, can't run .apk files, and is a significant step towards complete independence from US-based software for the vendor. HarmonyOS Next is not currently shipping with Huawei products but is available as a developer sandbox to develop and test apps for native HarmonyOS use. HarmonyOS Next hasn't yet arrived on PC, but recent leaks suggest it soon will, paving the way for a new Chinese homegrown desktop OS.

Images of HarmonyOS Next for PC suggest an operating system taking design cues from MacOS. The system has a familiar status bar and dock bar combo on the top and bottom. The fullscreen/minimize/close buttons live on the right-hand side of programs, mirroring MacOS's traffic light system.

(Image credit: Huawei)

Huawei's recent strategy for HarmonyOS has publicly been phones-first. With HarmonyOS being open-source, much like Android, widespread adoption across the Chinese market and beyond outside of Huawei phones is possible and a big goal for Huawei. HarmonyOS already makes up 16% of the Chinese phone market, which is expected to grow in the coming years.

While Huawei may want to focus development efforts on HarmonyOS towards phones, Chinese governments, local and national, have other plans. The regional government of Shenzhen, the metropolis that links Hong Kong to the Chinese mainland, recently began the 'Shenzhen Action Plan for Supporting the Development of Native HarmonyOS Open Source Applications in 2024.' The action plan includes ways Shenzhen seeks to boost HarmonyOS adoption and development, with a significant goal of Shenzhen accounting for 10% of the HarmonyOS products in China by the end of 2024.

Huawei and local governments like Shenzhen are heavily funding HarmonyOS development, with an optimistic three million jobs being sought to be created in HarmonyOS app development. China's national government's Document 79 wants all of its state-wide institutions to be rid of Western tech by 2027, and a robust HarmonyOS on PC would fill this need nicely. Of course, HarmonyOS is far from the only domestic operating system fighting for first place in China; new competitors like openKylin have begun making waves with native LLM support.

Dallin Grimm
Dallin Grimm
Contributing Writer

Dallin Grimm is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware. He has been building and breaking computers since 2017, serving as the resident youngster at Tom's. From APUs to RGB, Dallin has a handle on all the latest tech news. 

15 Comments Comment from the forums
  • ThomasKinsley
    An operating system that truly covers mobile, tablet, laptop and desktop formfactors is fascinating to me. I might sound like a broken record at this point, but after trying Samsung Dex I tend to agree with many who say this a glimpse of the future. The only problem is no real innovation has been done on this front since 2017, so now China gets to take a crack at what might be a leap ahead in software. If the developers can overcome the inevitable bugs and paltry app support, then it should fare well.
    Reply
  • USAFRet
    ThomasKinsley said:
    An operating system that truly covers mobile, tablet, laptop and desktop formfactors is fascinating to me. I might sound like a broken record at this point, but after trying Samsung Dex I tend to agree with many who say this a glimpse of the future. The only problem is no real innovation has been done on this front since 2017, so now China gets to take a crack at what might be a leap ahead in software. If the developers can overcome the inevitable bugs and paltry app support, then it should fare well.
    Microsoft tried this with Windows 8.
    Desktop users went on revolt.

    The use cases, and the UI look and feel are completely different.

    I can't imagine doing any CAD work, or image/video editing on a phone size screen. Simply too small.
    Reply
  • ThomasKinsley
    USAFRet said:
    Microsoft tried this with Windows 8.
    Desktop users went on revolt.

    The use cases, and the UI look and feel are completely different.

    I can't imagine doing any CAD work, or image/video editing on a phone size screen. Simply too small.
    You're 110% correct. But if the OS and apps recognize the screen size and provide the appropriate UI elements, then it could be an entirely different experience.
    Reply
  • USAFRet
    ThomasKinsley said:
    You're 110% correct. But if the OS and apps recognize the screen size and provide the appropriate UI elements, then it could be an entirely different experience.
    No matter what UI is applied, a phone screen is simply too small for certain things.
    Reply
  • ezst036
    ThomasKinsley said:
    An operating system that truly covers mobile, tablet, laptop and desktop formfactors is fascinating to me. I might sound like a broken record at this point, but after trying Samsung Dex I tend to agree with many who say this a glimpse of the future. The only problem is no real innovation has been done on this front since 2017, so now China gets to take a crack at what might be a leap ahead in software. If the developers can overcome the inevitable bugs and paltry app support, then it should fare well.

    Even Apple keeps MacOS separate.

    It is almost certain that the Harmony desktop will use a different UI than the mobile currently does - or else it will be themed so intensely heavily that it will appear as if it is something different with only minor cues and similarities. Font selections, color choices, and other minutiae.
    Reply
  • ThomasKinsley
    USAFRet said:
    No matter what UI is applied, a phone screen is simply too small for certain things.
    Absolutely, but I was thinking how Dex does it where the phone or tablet renders desktop mode on a larger monitor. For example, I use my phone to display Android on my 27'' monitor. Some apps actually display better on the bigger screen than they do on the phone.

    ezst036 said:
    It is almost certain that the Harmony desktop will use a different UI than the mobile currently does - or else it will be themed so intensely heavily that it will appear as if it is something different with only minor cues and similarities. Font selections, color choices, and other minutiae.
    I agree. In HarmonyOS's case, I think their first ambition will be interoperability, much like how OSX works well with iPhones and Phone Link on Windows with Android devices. Ideally, a seamless OS that handles all form factors should be easier for developers to code. All they would need to handle are the UI elements based on screen size rather than porting the app from Windows to OSX, Android, iOS, and perhaps Linux.
    Reply
  • USAFRet
    ThomasKinsley said:
    Some apps actually display better on the bigger screen than they do on the phone.
    What apps?
    Don't have to be specific, just what general use.
    Reply
  • ThomasKinsley
    USAFRet said:
    What apps?
    Don't have to be specific, just what general use.
    Definitely E-readers. They take well to custom window sizes, including full screen. There's also a video editing app with official Dex support. People say it excels on a widescreen monitor versus the tiny phone screen, but I haven't had a need to purchase it because I am still in the Windows ecosystem.
    Reply
  • das_stig
    USAFRet said:
    Microsoft tried this with Windows 8.
    Desktop users went on revolt.

    The use cases, and the UI look and feel are completely different.

    I can't imagine doing any CAD work, or image/video editing on a phone size screen. Simply too small.
    Microsoft made a complete pigs ear and didn't know its left arm from its right. if they actually stopped looked and listened, they may have made the OS work, but being Microsoft, they cut corners, had different teams pulling in different directions and all they cared about was the potential profits, which they threw away and they are still doing it with Windows 10/11.
    Reply
  • USAFRet
    ThomasKinsley said:
    Definitely E-readers. They take well to custom window sizes, including full screen. There's also one video editing app with official Dex support. People say it excels on a widescreen monitor versus the tiny phone, but I haven't had a need to purchase it because I am still in the Windows ecosystem.
    eReaders, absolutely.
    Consumption devices.

    But then, my PC and monitor is much too big for 'just reading'. My kindle is far better.

    Right now, I'm in a multi day edit of the photo of a friends kid. Editing out breathing tubes, etc, in prep for making a lithophane for a xmas present for her. This will then go out to my 3D printer, etc, etc.

    This needs pixel precision, even zoomed out on a large monitor.
    Reply