Huawei’s HarmonyOS-powered PCs, launched in May 2025, is set to mark a significant milestone in the company’s journey toward building a vertically integrated technology ecosystem, Emma Xu at Canalys said in a report.
Huawei has lost access to Windows licenses from Microsoft and leading chipmakers.
Key Features
Huawei’s new PC lineup — MateBook Fold and MateBook Pro — brings distinct hardware and software innovations:
Foldable OLED Display: The MateBook Fold features an 18-inch 3.3K foldable OLED screen that collapses to a compact 13-inch form, offering flexibility for both productivity and portability.
Kirin X90 Chipset: While Huawei has not officially disclosed details, the in-house chipset reportedly integrates AI-capable Neural Processing Units (NPUs), ensuring optimal performance in machine learning tasks and energy efficiency.
HarmonyOS 5: This operating system, developed entirely by Huawei, powers the new devices with a focus on distributed computing, device interoperability, and native AI features.
Star Shield Security: A proprietary security architecture designed to enhance data protection at both hardware and OS levels.
AI Assistant – Celia: Integrated directly into the OS, Celia supports transcription, real-time translation, content creation, and productivity workflows.
Consumer Benefits
Huawei’s HarmonyOS PCs are designed to deliver tangible advantages for users seeking seamless, intelligent computing:
Device Ecosystem Synergy: HarmonyOS’s distributed architecture allows HarmonyOS PCs to connect fluidly with Huawei smartphones, tablets, wearables, and even smart home devices. Users can drag files between devices, share apps, and continue tasks without interruption.
Enhanced Productivity: The AI assistant and native HarmonyOS tools boost efficiency in meetings, research, and creative tasks. Developers benefit from HarmonyOS SDKs and tools like DevEco Studio for streamlined app development.
Portability and Versatility: With ultra-thin form factors and foldable screens, users gain the power of a full PC with tablet-level portability — a major plus for mobile professionals.
Security Confidence: The inclusion of Star Shield reassures enterprise and privacy-conscious users that Huawei is serious about protecting sensitive data across devices.
Innovation Driving the Future
Huawei is not only introducing new hardware — it is laying the groundwork for a full-stack innovation strategy:
Form Factor Breakthroughs: With the foldable MateBook, Huawei enters a category few have mastered, offering a blend of novelty and utility.
AI Integration at Core: The integration of AI is not superficial — it’s woven into every layer, from the chipset to the OS, signaling Huawei’s commitment to AI-native computing.
Ecosystem Investment: Despite challenges like a limited app catalog, Huawei is investing billions in developer incentives, app porting frameworks, and native app creation. The company aims to build a viable alternative to mainstream platforms through strategic developer support and open SDKs.
Huawei’s HarmonyOS PCs embody a strategic response to geopolitical constraints—delivering not just alternatives, but potentially setting the stage for a new kind of integrated, AI-driven personal computing. While adoption will depend on expanding the app ecosystem and developer backing, the foundation laid in 2025 reflects strong ambition and technological maturity.
Huawei’s push into the PC market with HarmonyOS marks a bold shift toward software autonomy, but the company faces a host of challenges as it transitions away from Windows and navigates an increasingly competitive and politically constrained environment.
Short-Term Hurdles
One of Huawei’s immediate challenges is defining clear user segments and establishing a competitive differentiation for HarmonyOS PCs. Unlike Windows and macOS, which gained traction by focusing on productivity and creative users respectively, HarmonyOS currently lacks a sharply defined value proposition. Its AI-powered features and device continuity are promising, but these advantages must be clarified and proven through tangible use cases.
Huawei must also retain its existing user base — roughly 4.2 million PC units shipped in 2024, mostly laptops — by offering a smooth transition. This may involve incentives such as dual-boot capabilities, trade-in programs, and bundled services to mitigate switching friction. At the same time, Huawei should strengthen its position in commercial markets, particularly among government agencies and state-owned enterprises, which are more likely to adopt domestic platforms due to regulatory preferences.
Long-Term Strategic Imperatives
Long-term success hinges on developing a strong application ecosystem for HarmonyOS PCs. This includes forming partnerships with leading software vendors and nurturing a developer community capable of delivering high-quality native apps. Huawei must also align its product development with market needs across different user profiles — from students and professionals to creative users.
The rise of generative AI creates another pressure point. With rivals like Microsoft and Apple embedding AI deeply into their operating systems, Huawei must integrate AI across HarmonyOS — not just through features like its Celia assistant, but also within development tools, content creation software, and enterprise platforms. Its ability to embed AI in meaningful, productivity-enhancing ways will determine HarmonyOS’s relevance in the evolving PC landscape.
Leveraging Ecosystem Synergies
Huawei’s “1+8+N” strategy — uniting phones, PCs, wearables, smart homes and connected vehicles — provides a foundation for cross-device synergy. But to compete with the Apple ecosystem, Huawei must perfect the user experience through unified UI/UX, seamless data flow, and synchronized AI-driven interactions. This will require accelerating software development and ecosystem integration to realize the potential of distributed computing.
A High-Stakes Transition
Ultimately, Huawei’s move into HarmonyOS PCs represents a strategic effort to gain technological sovereignty amid ongoing geopolitical challenges. Its success depends not only on hardware innovation, but also on its ability to deliver a compelling and fully functional software alternative to Windows and macOS.
