Release of HarmonyOS 2.0 Developer Beta for Smartphones, a Step Closer to Making Seamless AI Life a Reality

HarmonyOS 2.0 Developer Beta for Smartphones was officially released at HUAWEI Developer Day Beijing 2020, representing a milestone in the construction of the all-encompassing HarmonyOS ecosystem. Smartphone app developers with interest in the 2.0 beta can apply for it on the HUAWEI Developer official website.

Comprehensive HarmonyOS system capabilities, a multitude of APIs, and powerful tools such as the optimized DevEco Studio simulator, have all been made publicly available, facilitating efficient HarmonyOS-compatible smartphone app development. Huawei hopes to welcome more partners to the ecosystem, and give users access to the full range of benefits offered by Seamless AI Life, with smart services that interact with, entertain and educate them in new and profound ways, at home, in the gym and in the office, on the go and on the road.

Wang Chenglu, President of Huawei's Consumer Business Group Software Engineering Department, remarked, "HarmonyOS is a true milestone, as it has redefined how people and devices interact with each other in every facet of daily life. Devices and services are no longer limited to specific life scenarios, now that users can freely customize how their devices work to account for any setting. HarmonyOS will create 'super devices' that come with more enriching apps than ever, as well as life-altering 'super services'."

Unparalleled user experience, made possible by "super devices" and seamless services

A new era is upon us, brought about by the Internet of Everything and powered by the rapid growth of 5G, AI and IoT technologies. The past decade has been dominated by the rise of the smartphone and mobile internet, but over the next decade, no single device offers similar breakthrough potential. Instead, it is multi-device connections that will pave the way to the smart services of tomorrow.

HarmonyOS and its underlying distributed technology are designed for this futuristic Internet of Everything paradigm. By helping create "super devices", which are formed by pooling software and hardware resources from previously physically-independent devices, the system has been making the lofty ambitions in Seamless AI Life a full-blown reality. HarmonyOS helps ensure that all devices are responsive to the user's every whim, and equipped to handle any conceivable usage scenario.

A good example of this principle in action is how HarmonyOS leverages phone-watch collaboration to provide for next-level smart travel solutions. Ride hailing has been made hands-free, with important information such as the taxi's real-time location and license plate number, displayed on the watch screen. Likewise, online shopping will soon be easier than ever, now that group-buyers will be able to view eligible items in other buyers' shopping carts, and make informed decisions with real-time post-discount pricing – or even initiate MeeTime calls to share screens and discuss purchasing strategies.

HarmonyOS encourages all developers to release their imagination and come up with promising ideas on how to create Seamless AI Life services for all users. Therefore it's no small wonder that over 120 mainstream app builders, including JD.com, China UnionPay, Youku Video and iFlytek, have opted to make HarmonyOS their system of choice.

Comprehensive support for developers, facilitating multi-device deployment through one-time development

Today's vast array of IoT devices share little in common, as they can be subdivided into different device types and operating systems. This reality has hindered traditional app development, as apps needed be adapted to fit all of the different screen sizes and systems prior to release. Huawei has made IoT fragmentation a thing of the past, by opening all of HarmonyOS's frameworks and platform toolchains to developers.

Over 15,000 APIs have now been made available, including distributed system services, software and hardware abilities. In doing so, HarmonyOS aims to help create innovative and competitive apps that are compatible with all device types and oriented toward all usage scenarios, with as much ease as experienced in the independent-device app development era. The distributed UI framework fits all screen sizes, and facilitates hassle-free deployment with substantially increased efficiency. The new and improved DevEco Studio 2.0 can realize real-time preview and distributed debugging, which are also ideal for boosting development efficiency.

More than 100,000 developers have joined the HarmonyOS ecosystem, thanks in large part to expert-level support, a wealth of enriching training courses and easy-to-access materials, and open-minded developer communities. The kickoff of the HarmonyOS Developer Innovation Contest, which offers 1.5 million Chinese yuan in prizes and mentorship resources from 20 prominent industry professionals, hopes to drive further engagement among the talented developers that have made HarmonyOS their professional home.

Ground-breaking HarmonyOS technologies, driving the industry forward and unlocking the boundless possibility of Seamless AI Life

HarmonyOS will also transform the business of hardware vendors, by helping them turn products into services. Software innovation will be channelled to bring about differentiated and flexible hardware usage. Hardware resources from all connected devices will be pooled, to enable partners to extract more value by selling services on an ongoing basis, rather than being limited to the one-time product sale. Enticed by this promising new model, more than 20 hardware vendors have become a part of the HarmonyOS ecosystem.

Multi-device interconnectivity has likewise been made seamless, from the very bottom layer, where the connection is unaffected by any software or hardware differences. The user can, for instance, simply tap their phone against a home appliance to establish an instant connection, and have the device information visualized on the phone screen. Connected appliances will also be able to "tell" their user how they're working, laying the foundation for genuine smart homes of the future.

HarmonyOS will be made open-source for a greater range of devices in the near future. The HUAWEI Developer Day 2020 event series will make stops in more major cities, including Shanghai and Guangzhou, to provide aspiring developers with invigorating discussions on cutting-edge technologies and applications.