HarmonyOS may soon give iOS 27 and Android 17 meaningful competition, as Huawei signals its intention to expand its mobile operating system beyond China. For years, users in the UK and most of the world have effectively been limited to Apple and Google software, with iOS 27 running on the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and Android 17 powering the Pixel 11, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and other models. That duopoly could now face a genuine third contender.
Huawei plans to expand HarmonyOS outside China
At the company’s HarmonyOS Ecosystem Conference, Huawei made clear it has serious plans to bring the software to global markets. Deputy Chairman and Rotating Chairman Eric Xu (Xu Zhijun) said the company is looking forward to running pilot programmes with the operating system in other countries. During a talk titled “The construction of the Harmony OS ecosystem is a marathon without a finish,” the executive argued that the success of an operating system is measured by its ability to go global.
Xu said the company aims to achieve global-scale development of the HarmonyOS ecosystem and provide the world with a second option, building on validated models and accumulated best practices.
When could HarmonyOS launch beyond China?
A clear timeline for the international rollout was absent from Xu’s remarks. While the pilot programmes could plausibly launch in the coming months, there is no guarantee they will happen, as Huawei has made similar statements about global expansion before without following through with actual releases.
HarmonyOS was developed after Huawei was banned from buying technology of US origin and lost access to Google’s version of Android. Early smartphone versions were compatible with Android apps, but that support was dropped with the introduction of HarmonyOS Next in 2024. Huawei now says there are more than 400,000 applications available for HarmonyOS phones, 100,000 of which are native to the operating system.
The picture in China differs sharply from Western markets. HarmonyOS ran on 24% of phones sold in the country during the second quarter of 2026, ahead of iOS devices, which accounted for 18% of sales. Globally, HarmonyOS represented 5% of smartphone sales, according to Counterpoint Research.
An alternative, but not for every market
Consumers in Europe, Latin America and several other regions have previously responded well to Huawei’s handsets, an important foundation for any renewed push. Huawei is also among the very few companies capable of securing the essential app ecosystem needed in many countries. Paired with competitive hardware and pricing, HarmonyOS could establish itself as a credible option in markets where Huawei devices remain popular.
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Image: phonearena.com
