Huawei launches updated operating system HarmonyOS 3, new ride-hailing platform

HarmonyOS 3, Huawei’s third-generation operating system, is designed to provide a more seamless experience across smart devices

Huawei also announced the launch of Petal Chuxing, a ride-hailing platform that pulls together third-party service providers

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Huawei launches its third-generation operating system on Wednesday. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 10:06pm, 27 Jul 2022Updated: 1:14am, 28 Jul 2022

Huawei Technologies Co has released an upgraded version of its own operating system, as the Chinese telecommunications giant pushes forward with its Android replacement amid ongoing US sanctions.

HarmonyOS 3, Huawei’s third-generation operating system, is designed to provide a more seamless experience across devices, including smartphones, tablets, printers, cars and smart home devices such as televisions, company representatives said at an online launch event on Wednesday.

Huawei also announced the launch of Petal Chuxing, a ride-hailing platform that pulls together third-party service providers. Running on HarmonyOS 3, the new app is compatible with several Huawei devices, including smartphones, watches and tablets, the company said.

While Huawei said that Petal Chuxing “does not aim to compete with anyone”, the app marks the company’s entrance into a field led by Didi Chuxing, which was recently fined US$1.2 billion by Chinese regulators following a year-long cybersecurity investigation.

Pedestrians walks past a Huawei flagship store in Shanghai. Photo: Bloomberg

Huawei’s decision to carry on with its self-developed operating system and introduce a ride-hailing service comes as the company struggles to revive its consumer business, which has been crippled by US sanctions.

Huawei debuted the original HarmonyOS in August 2019, three months after the firm was added to Washington’s trade blacklist, preventing it from buying software, chips and other technologies from American companies. Soon after the ban was announced, Google stopped providing its suite of mobile software services to Huawei.

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