China ends Windows–macOS duopoly with Huawei’s HarmonyOS, breaking U.S. tech grip

In a major escalation of its push for tech sovereignty, Huawei just launched its first laptops running HarmonyOS—its homegrown operating system—officially severing ties with Western software giants Microsoft and Apple.

The announcement marks a turning point in China’s quest to loosen the U.S. stranglehold on critical tech infrastructure. The new devices—the MateBook Pro and MateBook Fold Ultimate Design—are the first Huawei PCs to ship without Windows or macOS, and they’re powered entirely by China-made software.

China’s Full OS Breakaway Amid U.S. Chip Crackdown

This isn’t just a product launch. It’s a strategic maneuver.

After years of U.S. sanctions cutting off access to chips and operating systems, Huawei is signaling it no longer needs the West to build high-end consumer tech. The move comes as Washington tightens its grip on advanced semiconductors, blocking suppliers like Intel and Qualcomm.

Huawei has been in a tech standoff with the U.S. since 2019, when sanctions severed access to critical technologies from Microsoft, Intel, and Qualcomm.

With the expiration of its Microsoft Windows license earlier this year, Huawei’s back was against the wall. Instead of retreating, it doubled down, pushing HarmonyOS 5 to the forefront and placing it at the core of its future.

A Made-in-China Alternative to U.S. Tech Dominance

Huawei’s new laptops are powered by HarmonyOS 5—developed entirely in-house, without Android or any U.S. codebase. It features Huawei’s own kernel, its StarShield security architecture, and seamless integration across devices like phones, TVs, and tablets.

The laptops also likely run on Huawei’s Kirin X90 chip, a domestically developed 10-core processor. While the company didn’t confirm specs, the lack of Western suppliers leaves little doubt: the entire tech stack is Chinese.

Yu Chengdong, Huawei’s consumer chief, summed it up during the launch event in Chengdu:

“The Harmony laptop gives the world a new choice. We kept on doing the hard things—but the right things.”

The Specs and Strategic Price Tags

• MateBook Fold (flagship foldable):
  18-inch OLED display, no physical keyboard
  Price: ¥23,999 ($3,328)

• MateBook Pro (traditional design):
  Clamshell form factor with keyboard
  Price: ¥7,999 ($1,100)

Both models use Huawei’s Ark Engine for fast UI rendering and include built-in productivity apps like WPS Office and DingTalk—Chinese alternatives to U.S. software.

Closing the Ecosystem Loop

HarmonyOS 5 was designed to unify Huawei’s ecosystem. Its features include:

• Celia AI Assistant: Handles summaries, translation, and presentations

• Cross-device features: File transfers, unified messaging

• App ecosystem: 150+ native apps available at launch; over 20,000 HarmonyOS apps now live on AppGallery

• Developer community: 7.2 million developers as of late 2024

However, there are tradeoffs. The system doesn’t support sideloading, and it’s not backward-compatible with older laptops—drawing comparisons to Apple’s closed iOS/macOS approach.

China’s OS Gap—and Huawei’s Ambitious Bet

For decades, China has dominated hardware manufacturing but remained reliant on U.S.-controlled operating systems. HarmonyOS represents China’s most serious attempt yet to build a sovereign alternative that can eventually displace Western software, at least within its borders.

And it’s gaining traction. HarmonyOS is already installed on over 1 billion devices, from smartphones to smart TVs. Adding laptops strengthens its position as China pushes for self-reliance in strategic tech sectors.

The Global Outlook

Outside China, adoption will be an uphill battle. HarmonyOS’s incompatibility with Windows apps, combined with geopolitical baggage, makes Western expansion difficult. Security concerns continue to haunt the Huawei brand, especially in the U.S.

But Huawei may not need the West to win.

With China’s vast domestic market and increasing state support for local alternatives, the company is betting that HarmonyOS can flourish at home, possibly setting the stage for broader global influence later.

Bottom Line

Huawei’s launch of HarmonyOS-powered laptops isn’t just a product milestone. It’s a bold step toward tech independence—a direct challenge to decades of U.S. software dominance.

By severing reliance on Windows, macOS, Intel, and Qualcomm, Huawei is signaling that the future of computing in China—and possibly beyond—may no longer flow through Silicon Valley.