Are these ones actually Android based? Are they Unix-like?

  • sbeak@sopuli.xyz
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    15 days ago

    The TLDR is: HarmonyOS is Huawei’s mobile OS. The first few versions were based on Android, but version 5, also called “HarmonyOS Next”, lacks native support for Android apps due to the use of a different kernel and other low level system bits being different. In their marketing Huawei pitches it as being built from the ground up, but of course some elements were borrowed from their Android spin. Currently, HarmonyOS is mainland China-exclusive, globally you get an OS based on Android 12.

    As for the other Chinese OEMs, they all use a spin of Android. Xiaomi has HyperOS, Oppo has ColorOS, OnePlus has OxygenOS (nearly identical to ColorOS, and indeed, branded as such in mainland China), and Vivo has OriginOS (previously funtouchOS).

    • sbeak@sopuli.xyz
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      15 days ago

      There has also been speculation by Chinese media that HarmonyOS Next could be used by other brands once it matures as a “third option” to Android and iOS. Huawei is pushing developers (mostly the big Chinese ones like Tencent) to create HarmonyOS native apps, I think they had something like 1000 apps supported reported at one point? And this is likely still growing due to the popularity of Huawei devices in China.

      Huawei has stated that they will grow HarmonyOS Next in mainland China, and once it is mature, they will release it globally. It’s kind of neat in my opinion, but it’s a bit disingenuous to claim it is fully independent given that it shares a lot from their Android spin.

  • warmaster@lemmy.world
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    15 days ago

    HarmonyOS 5+ has it’s own tech stack, including their own kernel. Huawei is banned from the mainline kernel AFAIK.

    HyperOS is AOSP based.