Alibaba Group Holding is a partner with US sanctions Huawei technologies for the development of original versions e-commerce apps giant for the smartphone maker’s HarmonyOS operating system, which is set to take on Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS in mainland China.
Eleven apps under Alibaba Group – including used goods trading platform Xianyu, online travel platform Fliggy, courier service provider Cainiao and food delivery app Ele.me – will get native apps for HarmonyOS, Huawei Mobile Service announced in a statement on Thursday.
Alibaba, owner of the South China Morning Post, has been one of the most aggressive in putting native apps on the operating system, which only recently stopped supporting Android applications. Alibaba Taobao, China’s largest e-commerce platform, signed an agreement last month committing to the development of HarmonyOS. That came after Alibaba developed original versions workplace collaboration app DingTalk and online mapping service Amap last year.
Alipay, the largest digital payment application on the mainland owned by Alibaba’s fintech subsidiary Group Antthey also agreed to develop a HarmonyOS app in December.
Shenzhen tech hub to accelerate adoption of apps built on Huawei’s HarmonyOS
Early versions were criticized as little more than an Android variant, but the latest version released last month, HarmonyOS Nextit led to further divergence of competing systems.
Huawei plans to launch HarmonyOS Next for commercial use in the fourth quarter, the company said at a developer conference.
Other Chinese tech companies have also pledged to support Huawei’s new OS amid Beijing’s push for technological self-reliance. There’s also an economic incentive: Huawei is one of the best-selling smartphone brands in China.
A giant of delivery services Meituan has already completed the first version of its app HarmonyOS, as have other internet companies such as lifestyle social media platform Xiaohongshuare progressing, according to Huawei.
Alibaba JD.com’s e-commerce competitor was also among the tech companies that pledged development for HarmonyOS Next last month.
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Can Huawei’s Harmony OS for smartphones compete with Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS?
Can Huawei’s Harmony OS for smartphones compete with Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS?
Since January, more than 200 partners have started developing HarmonyOS apps, according to Huawei, which said it aims to have 5,000 partners on board by the end of this year.
It is expected that HarmonyOS surpass Apple’s iOS as the second largest operating system in China this year as a result of strong sales of its flagship Mate 60 series phones. Huawei has completely phased out the use of Android in new smartphones, according to a report by TechInsights.
In the first six weeks of this year, Huawei has seen sales jumped by 64 percentgiving it 16.5 percent of the market, the second largest share after Vivaaccording to data from Counterpoint Research.
