Huawei's HarmonyOS took center stage at a major year-end technology gathering in Shenzhen this week, showcasing its evolution into a robust ecosystem powering China's interconnected future. The December 20 event, hosted by China Media Group, highlighted how the operating system has matured since its 2024 breakthrough with HarmonyOS 5 – China's first fully self-developed cross-device platform.
This year saw significant advancements with November's launch of the HarmonyOS 6-powered Mate 80 series smartphones, which developers say represents a new phase of ecosystem maturity. The operating system now supports over 20 device categories – from wearables to smart home systems – creating a unified development environment that reduces app creation costs by 30% according to Huawei engineers.
What began as technical innovation has grown into a collaborative movement. Over 500,000 developers and 3,800 enterprise partners now contribute to the ecosystem, with December's ceremony recognizing key contributors. 'This isn't just about Huawei,' noted one award-winning app developer. 'It's about creating an open digital foundation that benefits entire industries.'
As 2025 concludes, industry analysts highlight three key impacts: reduced reliance on foreign mobile operating systems, accelerated smart device integration across consumer and industrial sectors, and new opportunities in China's $150 billion IoT market. With major manufacturers like Midea and BYD adopting HarmonyOS for their smart products, the platform is poised to shape Asia's tech landscape through 2026.
