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Huawei Unveils HarmonyOS 6, Expands Public Beta to Over 90 Devices

Oct 22, 2025, 5:11 a.m. ET

Huawei officially launched the next generation of its self-developed operating system, HarmonyOS 6, and opened large-scale public beta testing for more than 90 devices, further strengthening its position as one of the world’s top three mobile operating systems.

At the launch event, Huawei highlighted HarmonyOS 6’s enhanced multi-device connectivity, intelligent user experience, and robust privacy protection features, underscoring its ambition to deepen integration across smart devices and everyday life scenarios.

HarmonyOS, first initiated by Huawei in 2015, has evolved from an experimental system into a mature, large-scale ecosystem that rivals Android and iOS. Last year’s HarmonyOS 5 marked a major milestone as it completely eliminated reliance on open-source code, achieving full independence from the system’s kernel to its application framework.

According to Richard Yu Chengdong, Huawei’s Executive Director and Chairman of the Terminal BG, the number of devices powered by HarmonyOS 5 has exceeded 23 million units. Yu previously noted that Huawei took nearly 10 months to grow from zero to 10 million devices, but only two months to expand from 10 million to 20 million — reflecting rapid adoption and growing consumer confidence in Huawei’s ecosystem.

The newly upgraded HarmonyOS 6 introduces the “Galaxy Interconnect Architecture” (星河互联架构), which significantly enhances device connection and sensing capabilities. It supports data transmission speeds of up to 160 MB/s, allowing users to share photos, music, links, and other content instantly with a simple “tap-to-connect” gesture.

Beyond seamless connectivity, HarmonyOS 6 also improves AI-driven experiences through contextual perception and adaptive interfaces, enabling devices to anticipate user needs and deliver smoother cross-scenario operations — from smart homes and vehicles to wearables and office equipment.

Huawei said the new system also incorporates enhanced privacy protection frameworks, allowing users to better control app permissions and data-sharing behavior. It includes new security auditing tools and sandboxing mechanisms designed to isolate sensitive information during multi-device collaboration.

Industry analysts view HarmonyOS 6 as a key step in Huawei’s long-term strategy to build a fully independent intelligent ecosystem, reducing its dependence on foreign technologies amid ongoing global tech competition.

With HarmonyOS now extending beyond smartphones to tablets, TVs, smartwatches, and IoT devices, Huawei aims to position its platform as the core of a next-generation connected world. The large-scale public beta rollout covering more than 90 models — including flagship Mate and P series devices — signals Huawei’s confidence in the system’s maturity and stability.

 

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