Huawei Technologies Co. has released the developer beta for HarmonyOS 7, marking a shift toward an agent-based operating system architecture centered on spatial computing and artificial intelligence. According to Yu Chengdong, executive director of Huawei’s terminal business group, the platform now powers over 66 million devices in China, supported by a network of 11 million registered developers.
How is HarmonyOS 7 Changing Mobile Architecture?
Huawei is moving away from traditional app-centric design by migrating the entire operating system to an agent-based architecture. Instead of relying on static AI shortcuts, the company has integrated its “Harmony Intelligence” directly into the system core. Yu Chengdong stated that the upgraded Xiaoyi voice assistant now functions as the primary “smart nucleus” of the OS. By reconstructing the system around AI, Huawei aims to provide a more fluid, predictive user experience that adapts to specific scenarios rather than requiring manual input for every task.
The HarmonyOS AppGallery currently hosts over 400,000 apps and services. Of these, more than 23,000 have been specifically adapted to run natively on the HarmonyOS architecture.
What is the Strategy Behind OpenPangu 2.0?
At the 2026 Harmony Developer Conference in Shenzhen, Huawei officially open-sourced its Pangu large language model, known as openPangu 2.0. The largest iteration of this model features 505 billion parameters. Yu Chengdong noted that the company faces significant constraints regarding computing power, as a substantial portion of its resources is currently allocated to supporting other domestic enterprises. By releasing a model of this scale, Huawei intends to maximize computing efficiency, which Yu describes as a necessity for maintaining a competitive edge in the global AI market.
How Does the HarmonyOS Ecosystem Scale?
The HarmonyOS ecosystem has transitioned from technical validation to large-scale expansion. Data provided by Huawei indicates that HarmonyOS 6 has become the second-largest smartphone operating system in the Chinese market. This growth is bolstered by a hardware strategy that connects phones, PCs, smart screens, and in-vehicle systems. By maintaining parity across these diverse hardware categories, Huawei is attempting to create a unified experience where the operating system remains consistent regardless of the device form factor.
For developers looking to integrate with the new system, Huawei’s transition to native HarmonyOS adaptation is the primary focus. Prioritizing native code over cross-platform wrappers will likely yield better performance within the new agent-based architecture.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes HarmonyOS 7 different from previous versions?
HarmonyOS 7 is built on an agent-based architecture where AI is the core of the system, rather than an add-on. This allows the OS to act as an intelligent agent for the user.
How many devices currently run HarmonyOS?
According to Yu Chengdong, HarmonyOS 6 is active on more than 66 million devices, establishing it as the second-largest smartphone operating system in China.
Is the Pangu model available for public use?
Yes, Huawei has officially open-sourced the Pangu large language model (openPangu 2.0), which includes versions up to 505 billion parameters.
What is the role of the Xiaoyi assistant?
In HarmonyOS 7, the Xiaoyi voice assistant serves as the smart nucleus of the operating system, managing the agent-based functions across the device ecosystem.
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