Huawei's operating system gaining clout

Huawei Technologies Co announced on Wednesday that more than 800 million devices in China, including its own-branded products as well as devices from third-party companies, have now been equipped with its self-developed operating system Harmony-OS.

The progress showcases Huawei's ambitions to build a robust software ecosystem for hardware, despite the US government's prolonged restrictions on the Chinese tech heavyweight.

Yu Chengdong, chairman of Huawei's consumer business group, which includes smartphones, PCs and other internet of things devices, said 180 types of devices can now be upgraded to HarmonyOS 4.2, the latest version of its in-house operating system, encompassing smartphones, tablets and earphones.

In the automotive sector, Huawei said its new Aito M5, an SUV it developed in collaboration with Chinese automaker Seres, has garnered substantial consumer interest since its April 23 launch, with over 10,000 orders placed within the first 72 hours.

At an online product launch event held on Wednesday, Huawei also unveiled a string of new devices including laptops and tablets, featuring cutting-edge artificial intelligence functions.

The move comes as Huawei surpassed Apple to become the top vendor in the Chinese tablet market in the fourth quarter of 2023, for the first time since 2010, said market research company International Data Corp.

Huawei achieved a market share of 30.8 percent, an increase of 9.6 percentage points year-on-year, while Apple's share declined by 6.7 percentage points to 30.5 percent. Xiaomi, Honor and Lenovo followed in the rankings.

Gan Miao, senior research manager at IDC China, said the overall performance of China's tablet market in 2023 was within market expectations.

As the market transitions from a phase focused on cost-effectiveness, 2024 is expected to see mainstream brands place greater emphasis on user experience and sustainable development. Tech trends in the Chinese tablet industry are projected to focus on enhancing system software capabilities, leveraging AI-generated content technologies and launching more intelligent system-level integrated products, Gan said.

Meanwhile, after 13 quarters, Huawei returned to the top position in the Chinese smartphone market in the January-March period, capturing a 17 percent market share, driven by the success of its Mate and Nova series, said market research firm Canalys.

Xiang Ligang, director-general of the Information Consumption Alliance, a telecom industry association, said: "It was through arduous efforts that Huawei managed to revive its consumer-oriented business, which was once crippled by the US government's restrictions. Huawei's comeback in the smartphone market coincides with good timing, as AI smartphones are expected to trigger a new round of growth."

According to data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, China's top industry regulator, phone production volume in the country reached 374 million units in the first quarter, representing a 13.6 percent year-on-year increase and showcasing a steady recovery trend.