Huawei finally launched the counterpart to Windows 11 a few days ago, and while it did come with several impressive features, the OS won’t support sideloading applications.
Huawei’s HarmonyOS-Next Is Expected To Be Limited To Modern Laptops & Won’t Feature Backward Compatibility
Huawei has been making massive strides in the tech world, from AI to consumer computing products, the firm has managed to “vertically integrate” its offerings. The firm recently unveiled its OS for consumer laptops, called the HarmonyOS Next. This release is Huawei’s commitment to offering its customers an “ecosystem” of products, similar to Apple’s approach, where the Chinese tech giant will now have an OS that will give users the power for cross-platform computation, which is a massive deal for the company. But, it is claimed via MyDrivers that the OS won’t support sideloading of applications, which could be a major deal-breaker that we will discuss later on.
Diving into HarmonyOS-Next’s capabilities, it is revealed that the platform will be offered only in Huawei’s latest laptops, and there will be no way of using it with older Huawei devices since the firm is said not to include backward compatibility. However, HarmonyOS Next is said to feature several AI-oriented perks, such as a dedicated AI assistant, Celia, who also works as an AI agent and can perform tasks such as creating slides. Apart from this, the OS is loaded with native applications like WPS Office.
It is claimed that the OS has been inspired by Apple’s macOS since it comes with a software shortcut bar at the bottom. However, a problem with HarmonyOS-Next is that you cannot sideload applications. You would have to refer to Huawei’s native “App Gallery” to get the required applications. This approach is similar to what the firm does with its mobile devices, and it is likely a move to ensure that Chinese consumers move away from relying on Western software.
Given the power users traditionally have on desktops/laptops, it is certainly something which doesn’t work in the favour of Huawei, but given that the company focuses specifically on the needs of Chinese consumers, its targeted audience won’t have much of an issue.
