Huawei unveils smart displays under Honor brand equipped with alternative operating system to Android

Huawei Technologies debuted its much-anticipated operating system in smart displays by Honor, one of its brands, as the Chinese telecoms equipment giant prepares for a possible future without access to Google’s Android.

The new Honor smart displays come with a pop-up camera for video chat and facial recognition and allow all devices equipped with the company’s self-developed Harmony OS to interact in a seamless way, Honor president George Zhao Ming said on Saturday.

Users can share information, text notes, conduct video chats between the smart displays and smartphones seamlessly. With a starting price tag of 3,799 yuan (US$540), the Honor display is equipped with HiSilicon “Honghu 818” intelligent chipset and smart pop-up camera for large screens, allowing the users to operate the display through voice chat and enjoy personalised features driven by artificial intelligence, according to Zhao.

“Many people have stopped using TVs in the family, and we are trying to subvert the idea,” Richard Yu Chengdong, Huawei’s mobile chief, said on Saturday at the company’s developer conference in Dongguan, China. Huawei sometimes uses its most “forward-looking” technology on Honor first, he said.

On Friday, Huawei unveiled its self-developed Harmony operating system, which supports a range of products and systems within its own ecosystem, including smartphones, computers, tablets, TVs, automobiles and smart wear.

The main Huawei brand is also expected to launch its own smart displays in September, one month after Honor’s product first hit the market.