On May 19, 2025, Huawei made a significant leap in its quest for technological independence by launching two new laptop models, the MateBook Fold and MateBook Pro, powered by its self-developed Harmony operating system (HarmonyOS 5). This marks the first time the Chinese tech giant has introduced laptops running its home-grown OS, a move that positions Huawei as a direct competitor to Western tech giants like Microsoft and Apple, whose Windows and macOS have long dominated the global market. The launch comes amid ongoing U.S. restrictions on Huawei’s access to critical technology, highlighting the company’s determination to carve out a self-reliant path in the global tech landscape.
A Strategic Response to U.S. Sanctions
Huawei’s journey toward HarmonyOS began in 2015, with its initial deployment on smartphones in 2020. The development of HarmonyOS for laptops, which started in 2021, gained urgency after the U.S. imposed sanctions in 2019. These restrictions limited Huawei’s access to U.S. technology, including chips from companies like Intel and Qualcomm, and eventually led to the expiration of its Microsoft Windows license for PCs in March 2025. Forced to pivot, Huawei accelerated its efforts to create an independent ecosystem, with HarmonyOS at its core.
The new laptops represent a culmination of these efforts. The MateBook Fold, a premium model featuring an 18-inch OLED double screen and no physical keyboard. The MateBook Pro, a more conventional laptop with a keyboard. Huawei has not disclosed the specific processors used—these devices are a bold statement of intent. As Yu Chengdong, head of Huawei’s consumer business group, stated during the livestreamed launch event, “The Harmony laptop gives the world a new choice. We kept on doing the hard things but the right things.”
HarmonyOS: A New Player in the OS Arena
HarmonyOS is a microkernel-based, distributed operating system designed to run across a variety of devices, from smartphones and smart TVs to laptops and IoT devices. Unlike earlier versions, which were based on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) and Linux kernel, HarmonyOS 5 (also known as HarmonyOS Next) is a fully independent system with its own kernel and architecture. This shift eliminates compatibility with Android apps, focusing instead on native HarmonyOS applications. At launch, the OS supports over 150 applications on its laptop platform, including WPS Office (a Microsoft Office alternative) and the photo-editing app Meitu Xiu Xiu. Additionally, the system is compatible with thousands of mobile apps already available on HarmonyOS smartphones, such as social media platform RedNote and enterprise tool DingTalk.
Huawei’s demos of HarmonyOS 5 on laptops emphasize its desktop-style interface, featuring a taskbar, dock, and support for multitasking with resizable windows. The OS also integrates AI features through Huawei’s assistant, Celia, which can summarize documents, create presentation slides, and retrieve information from local files. By the end of 2024, HarmonyOS had been installed on over a billion devices, with more than 7.2 million developers creating apps for the platform, signaling its growing ecosystem.
Challenging the Western Tech Duopoly
For decades, Microsoft’s Windows and Apple’s macOS have held a near-duopoly in the computer operating system market. China, despite being a global leader in tech hardware, has lagged in OS development, often relying on Western systems. Huawei’s entry into this space with HarmonyOS is a direct challenge to that dominance, offering consumers an alternative that prioritizes integration across devices. HarmonyOS’s DSoftBus technology, for example, allows seamless connectivity between devices, creating a “Super Device” ecosystem where a laptop can control a smartphone or share data with a smart TV.
A Major Victory with Global Implications
Huawei’s launch of HarmonyOS laptops is more than a product release; it’s a major victory in the face of adversity. The U.S. sanctions, which began over unproven national security allegations, have pushed Huawei to innovate at an unprecedented pace. While the company has not released proof-of-concept evidence to counter these allegations, the absence of concrete evidence from the U.S. government after more than half a decade raises questions about the validity of the bans. Huawei’s ability to develop its own OS and chips under such pressure underscores its resilience and signals China’s broader ambition to reduce reliance on Western technology.
Globally, the HarmonyOS laptops could appeal to markets seeking alternatives to Western systems, particularly in regions where Huawei already has a strong foothold, such as Asia and Africa. In China, where HarmonyOS smartphones have surpassed Apple’s market share the laptops may find a ready audience. However, expanding beyond China will require Huawei to build a more robust app ecosystem and address performance.
What Ahead for Huawei and HarmonyOS
The launch of the MateBook Fold and MateBook Pro is just the beginning for HarmonyOS in the laptop space. Huawei’s vision of a unified ecosystem across devices is compelling and a ultimate success on developer support, app growth, and consumer adoption. Huawei will redefine the global tech landscape, breaking the long-standing dominance of Windows and macOS. For now, Huawei has sent a clear message: it’s not just surviving under pressure—it’s thriving, and it’s ready to compete on its own terms.
