Huawei HarmonyOS 6: AI Agents Challenge Android and iOS

Huawei is making waves in the mobile operating system (OS) market with the launch of HarmonyOS 6, a major update that integrates AI agents directly into the OS architecture. This move marks a significant shift in the industry, positioning HarmonyOS 6 as a robust competitor to Android and iOS by leveraging advanced AI capabilities.

AI Agents at the Core

The centrepiece of HarmonyOS 6 is its AI agents framework, which allows developers to create automated programs without the need for complex model training. This framework makes AI development more accessible within Huawei’s ecosystem, potentially democratizing AI innovation. Richard Yu Chengdong, chairman of Huawei’s consumer business group, announced that more than 50 AI agents from established Chinese platforms, such as Weibo and Ximalaya, will be available upon the consumer launch of HarmonyOS 6.

The integration of AI agents into the OS layer transforms HarmonyOS 6 into an intelligent intermediary that anticipates, learns, and acts on behalf of users. By embedding these capabilities directly into the OS, Huawei positions HarmonyOS 6 as a foundation for next-generation computing experiences.

Ecosystem Metrics Show Steady Progress

HarmonyOS has made significant strides in developer and application support. The platform boasts eight million registered developers and hosts more than 30,000 applications and “atomic services” — lightweight programs that run without installation. HarmonyOS 5 operates on over 40 device models, indicating steady hardware adoption.

Despite its progress, HarmonyOS still lags behind Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android in terms of global reach and application support. However, Yu noted that the top 5,000 apps account for 99.9% of consumer time spent on Huawei devices. This focus on essential applications reflects Huawei’s pragmatic approach to ecosystem success, emphasizing quality and user engagement over sheer app quantity.

Pangu AI Models Target Industrial Applications

Huawei has also introduced Pangu 5.5, the latest in a series of AI models designed for enterprise and industrial use. The natural language processing model contains 718 billion parameters, while the computer vision model features 15 billion parameters. These specifications position Pangu 5.5 competitively in the current AI landscape.

Huawei is targeting five specialized sectors: medicine, finance, governance, manufacturing, and automotive. The industrial focus suggests that Huawei is using AI development to strengthen its enterprise relationships, particularly in China, where the company’s consumer market access remains constrained by geopolitical factors.

The integration of Pangu 5.5 with HarmonyOS 6 creates a vertically integrated stack, offering potential advantages in optimization and performance. This strategy aligns with Huawei’s broader transformation from a hardware-focused company to a software and services provider, driven by US Entity List restrictions since 2019.

Market Trajectory and Strategic Implications

According to consultancy Canalys, Huawei has shipped more than 103 million smartphones and 21 million tablets running HarmonyOS, with nearly half delivered in 2024. This acceleration indicates growing internal adoption and suggests the platform is gaining momentum in China’s domestic market.

Huawei has expanded HarmonyOS beyond mobile devices, launching two laptops with the operating system last month. The multi-device strategy aims to create a unified software experience similar to Apple’s ecosystem approach, though executing this across diverse hardware categories presents significant technical challenges.

The development of HarmonyOS 6 reflects Huawei’s broader transformation into a software and services provider. This evolution, driven by external pressures, has forced innovative approaches to technology development and market positioning. By leveraging AI and a robust ecosystem, Huawei aims to secure a strong foothold in the global tech landscape.

Final Thoughts

Huawei’s HarmonyOS 6 represents a bold step forward in the mobile OS market, leveraging AI to offer a compelling alternative to Android and iOS. With a focus on developer accessibility, user engagement, and industrial applications, HarmonyOS 6 is poised to challenge the status quo and reshape the future of mobile computing.