Huawei introduces HarmonyOS 7: a new era of AI agents and competition with iOS
Chinese tech giant Huawei has officially announced the seventh generation of its operating system — HarmonyOS 7. The main focus of the new version is the integration of intelligent agents, marking a strategic shift toward personalized computing ecosystems.
The updated voice assistant Xiaoyi can now manage over 2,100 system functions of the device. This is not just a set of commands — it is a full-fledged platform for interacting with external services. Xiaoyi supports integration with 2,000 third-party AI agents, opening up broad opportunities for automating workflows and creating complex interaction scenarios.
OpenPangu 2.0: The Foundation for the Ecosystem
Alongside the OS, Huawei introduced openPangu 2.0 — a family of language models optimized for operation within HarmonyOS. These models will serve as the foundation for developing applications using built-in AI capabilities, which is critical for attracting developers to the ecosystem.
The stable version of HarmonyOS 7 is expected in the fall of 2026. This gives the market enough time for adaptation but raises questions about the pace of adoption — especially amid fierce competition with Android and iOS.
Market Context: HarmonyOS Gains Momentum
According to analysts at Counterpoint Research, in the first quarter of 2025, HarmonyOS's share of the Chinese mobile operating system market reached 19%. For comparison, iOS holds 16%. This is impressive growth, considering that just a few years ago, HarmonyOS was perceived as a niche product.
From my perspective, the key driver of this success is deep integration with Huawei's hardware and government support in China. However, the question of global expansion remains open. Without access to Western services and applications, HarmonyOS is unlikely to pose serious competition outside of China. Nevertheless, the focus on AI agents is a smart move that could attract developers interested in creating autonomous digital assistants.