HarmonyOS Grows Beyond Phones

Huawei has published its latest HarmonyOS 3D dynamic wallpaper rollout plan, expanding support beyond early adopters to many Mate, Pura, nova and Mate X series devices. The 3D wallpaper — pushed initially to Pura 90 Pro with HarmonyOS 6.1.0.120 SP30 — responds to device motion and two-finger lock-screen gestures to create a parallax-like effect. Huawei lists exact build versions and dates for models already updated (Pura 90/90 Pro/90 Pro Max, Pura X Max, Mate 80 family, nova 15 family) and schedules broader compatibility across Mate 70/60, Pura 80/70, Mate X5/X6 and select nova and Mate X foldables through Q3–Q4 2026; many tablets and other phones remain “pending.” The plan matters for user experience consistency across Huawei’s HarmonyOS ecosystem.

WeChat's HarmonyOS variant received an invite-only upgrade to version 8.0.18.34 via Huawei AppGallery on May 30, 2026, with testing slated through June 29. The build adds multiple UX and AI-driven tweaks: expanded country selection on login, auto-rotation for landscape media, AI music features rebranded to “Music Echo” with phased rollouts of AI sing/voice options, an AI model selector for cover-singing, and a new “Leave Echo” recorder. Other changes include search-on-long-press for messages, improved Video Accounts creator tools and image support, contact/official-account reorganizations, foldable/tablet split-column UI, face-auth during video calls, authorization management, and several fixes. The update matters for HarmonyOS users and app developers targeting Huawei devices, reflecting deeper AI and platform-specific integrations.

Huawei listed the MEDELI C25 Mini music keyboard on its store as an accessory for the upcoming MatePad Pro Max, which goes on sale June 1. The keyboard pairs with Huawei’s new 音悦家 (YinYueJia) music app, a tablet-focused music production suite that includes 200+ instrument and synth sounds, virtual instruments (including traditional Chinese instruments), multitrack editing, import/recording, and style templates. Huawei says the combination makes “one tablet a whole band” and notes collaboration with Shanghai Conservatory of Music to refine authentic traditional timbres. The accessory listing lacks pricing details but signals Huawei’s push to position the MatePad Pro Max as a creative, music-production device within its HarmonyOS ecosystem.

WeChat's HarmonyOS variant received a trial update to version 8.0.18.33 via Huawei's AppGallery for testing from May 29 to June 28, 2026. The release adds foldable and tablet split-screen UI support, landscape auto-rotation for images/videos, AI-driven music features rebranded to "Music Echo" with phased AI sing/voice options, an AI search sidebar in web results, and new permission and authorization management. Other changes include improved video interaction (pinch-zoom), creator tools for Channels, image support in Channel comments, service-account categorization, persistent comment box in Moments, and face-auth payments during video calls. The update is a staged rollout with some features behind account gray releases; bug fixes included.

At the OpenAtom Foundation’s Open Harmony Developer Conference 2026, organizers reported major ecosystem milestones: the OpenHarmony codebase has surpassed 140 million lines with over 13,000 contributors, and Huawei said HarmonyOS-powered devices now exceed 1.3 billion units. The figures build on China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology data showing over 1.2 billion devices by end-2025, and Huawei’s prior updates that HarmonyOS 5/6 devices and app ecosystem growth are accelerating—recently cited device counts of 47 million for new-generation devices with daily gains in the hundreds of thousands. These metrics signal growing developer engagement and broad device adoption, underlining HarmonyOS’s expanding role across phones, tablets, PCs, TVs, wearables and industry terminals.

At the OpenHarmony Developer Conference 2026, Open Atom Foundation chair Xie Shaofeng said the OpenHarmony community now hosts over 140 million lines of code and more than 13,000 contributors, supporting devices across phones, tablets, PCs, TVs, wearables and industry terminals. A Huawei representative also announced the HarmonyOS (Hongmeng) smart hardware ecosystem has surpassed 1.3 billion cumulative devices. This highlights significant open-source momentum and broad hardware adoption, reinforcing Huawei’s ecosystem play and potential influence on device makers, developer engagement, and competition in OS and IoT platforms.

华为手机 / 平板 / 电脑同源设计：余承东发布全新一代鸿蒙智行 HarmonyOS 专属座舱

Huawei unveiled a new generation HarmonyOS-branded in-car cockpit at the Hongmeng Zhixing (HarmonyOS Zhixing) AITO M9 series launch, led by Huawei executive Yu Chengdong. The HarmonyOS exclusive cockpit uses a unified design language across Huawei phones, tablets and PCs, supporting flexible card/app/folder layouts, a minimalist interface, and claims to boost interaction efficiency by 70%. It features 3D spatial vehicle controls, a dedicated AI assistant “Xiaoyi” with a human-like reasoning architecture for instrument interpretation, vehicle alerts and Q&A, cross-device collaboration and proactive suggestions, and multi-device screen casting for HarmonyOS 6.1+ devices. Navigation enhancements include fuzzy-destination routing and multi-stop itinerary conflict alerts. This marks Huawei’s deeper push to integrate HarmonyOS across automotive and consumer device ecosystems.

Huawei's consumer BG president Yu Chengdong announced at a Hongmeng Zhixing (HarmonyOS Drive) launch event that the platform has reached cumulative deliveries of 1.39 million vehicles, with 190,000 delivered in 2026 so far — a 27% year-over-year increase. The figure underscores Huawei's growing role in automotive software and smart vehicle systems, reflecting adoption of its HarmonyOS-derived stack in partner carmakers and the broader push toward software-defined vehicles. For the tech and auto industries, the milestone signals momentum for Huawei's in-car platform as a competitor to other automotive OS and cloud-connected mobility services, and suggests further integration opportunities for apps, AI features, and ecosystem partners. Key risk factors include partner uptake and regulatory or supply constraints.

WeChat’s HarmonyOS tablet build has a new invited-test release, version 8.0.18.19, available May 26–June 25 via SMS-linked install. The update adapts WeChat’s UI for HarmonyOS large screens, enabling a two-column layout with recent contacts on the left and the active chat on the right; it reportedly refreshes after manually clearing the app from the background. The build is expected to support Huawei’s tablets as well as foldables and devices in large-screen modes (HiCar / Super Desktop) under HarmonyOS NEXT, since many apps auto-adapt to varying aspect ratios. IT Home will test the public/early-release versions when they arrive. This matters for richer messaging experiences across Huawei’s ecosystem and better multi-pane productivity on big screens.

Huawei’s HarmonyOS-powered new AITO (Wenjie) M9 SUV, confirmed to run the all-new Huawei Tulingo Dragon Drive (途灵龙行) platform, faces an AI controversy after its promotional video released May 16 drew AI-generation flags on short-video platforms. A creator who submitted the clip to China’s anti-fraud center reported AI-generation traces, prompting blogger @AIMIKKKK to publish on-the-ground footage demonstrating the M9’s active suspension and real-world sounds to counter the claims. Huawei’s site lists multiple M9 trims, seating and powertrain options; the top Ultimate long-wheelbase, fully equipped spec nears RMB 900k (about RMB 879,800 listed), and the product launch is set for May 27.

Huawei began rolling out a May OTA for AITO/Wenjie cars that upgrades its QianKun ADS 4 driving stack and HarmonyOS in-cabin system, addressing long-standing user pain points. The ADS 4 update brings city navigation (NCA), LCC Plus lane cruise enhancements, one-tap NCA activation, improved map and routing edits, parking-assist from cruising, VRU reverse warnings, accident-prone road preemptive slowing, and camera view options. HarmonyOS cabin updates add features including no-mic karaoke, richer E-CALL health data, a new steering-wheel volume setting (current volume vs. media/calls), AI-driven video color/quality enhancement, light-to-video mood lighting, AR HUD driving aids and animations, improved voice dialects, and finer dashcam controls. The OTA tightens driver-assist, UX, and multimedia integration across vehicle software.

Huawei’s Hongmeng Zhixing (HarmonyOS for vehicles) began a May OTA rollout delivering 17 new features and 36 experience optimizations across driving assistance and in-cabin functions. Key ADS upgrades to Huawei QianKun driving include improved eAES behavior for safer evasive maneuvers, rear VRU (vulnerable road user) collision warnings during reversing, and a one‑touch navigation-assist activation that recommends destinations and engages NCA/ADS. Cabin updates add editable via-points in route planning, expanded dialect support for voice assistant XiaoYi, and a low-latency vocal-removal karaoke mode. Additional refinements cover passenger seat memory, looser navigation-assist activation conditions, and AR-HUD displays. The OTA is available via the vehicle system update menu.

Huawei announced the MatePad Pro Max flagship tablet will debut alongside the nova 16 series at a June 1 launch event and go on sale the same day at 16:08. The MatePad Pro Max, now listed on Huawei’s site, emphasizes an ultra-thin design, a 13.2-inch 3K flexible OLED "cloud soft light" display with a 94% screen-to-body ratio, HarmonyOS professional productivity features including dual desktops, and will ship with the music-focused YinYueJia app. Configurations include multiple RAM/storage tiers up to 20GB+1TB (with keyboard), and it may use the Kirin T93 Pro SoC. Colors shown are Deep Space Gray and Moonlight Silver. This positions Huawei to push tablet productivity and hardware-software integration in its ecosystem.

Huawei’s in-house music app “YinYueJia” (音悦家) was showcased at a HarmonyOS office products briefing, and Huawei Terminal BG CTO Li Xiaolong confirmed it will support traditional Chinese instruments. Li also previewed the app UI, which includes two main sections—“Concert Hall” and “Studio”—and lists instruments such as the moon lute (月琴), Tang-style vertical konghou (仿唐制竖箜篌), Tang-style pear-shaped pipa (仿唐制曲颈琵琶) and silk-string guqin. Huawei says YinYueJia will include 200+ Chinese and Western instruments and professional synth tones, developed with Shanghai Conservatory to faithfully reproduce traditional instrument timbres for mobile composition, recording, arranging and mixing. This positions the app as a professional mobile music-creation studio and supports domestic cultural sounds in HarmonyOS ecosystem.

Huawei and Chinese education company Xueersi (学而思) announced an exclusive strategic partnership to embed Xueersi Learning Center into Huawei’s new Education Space on HarmonyOS-powered tablets. The integration goes beyond an ordinary app: system-level embedding lets users enter the education space with a four-finger swipe. The environment isolates apps, accounts, and data from the main tablet, enforces password protection to prevent kids from exiting, and enables parental remote control and app-approval via the Xueersi parent app. Content spans preschool to high school, offers free AI tools (homework grading, dictation), free material plus paid subscriptions, and draws on Xueersi’s learning device resources. The Education Space will arrive on MatePad Pro Max and roll out to other tablets starting June 1.

华为鸿蒙 HarmonyOS API26 新版本来袭，面向开发者开放体验官招募