In 2019, the U.S. and allied governments restricted Huawei primarily over security concerns and geopolitical strategy, not because of proven espionage activities. Huawei disputes these claims, and no definitive public evidence has emerged showing that Huawei acted as an agent of the Chinese state. The sanctions are a mixture of caution, politics, and technological competition.
The U.S. restrictions
Blocked Huawei from using Google services, U.S.-made chips, and certain software tools.
The intention was to slow Huawei’s global growth, particularly in smartphones, PCs, and 5G infrastructure.
Huawei’s response
HarmonyOS: Built a full-fledged operating system to replace Android on mobile devices and expand to PCs, tablets, TVs, wearables, and IoT.
Domestic chips: Accelerated partnerships with SMIC and other Chinese semiconductor firms to reduce reliance on U.S. chips.
Ecosystem expansion: Launched the “Super Device” concept for seamless cross-device connectivity, which Apple and Windows don’t fully replicate.
Potential upside over restricted tech
Microkernel OS design: More secure and modular than traditional monolithic OS kernels (like Windows).
Distributed multi-device ecosystem: Can integrate phones, PCs, tablets, IoT, and automotive devices seamlessly.
Energy efficiency & performance: Huawei claims HarmonyOS is lighter and faster on low-power devices than Android or Windows.
Native app support across devices: Apps can scale across smartphones, tablets, TVs, and PCs without rewriting.
The irony
Restrictions meant to limit Huawei’s influence forced the company to innovate in ways that could give it a long-term advantage.
Instead of being dependent on U.S. tech, Huawei built its own software, OS ecosystem, and chip roadmap — potentially giving it more independence and control than before.
If sanctions were lifted today, Huawei could theoretically compete head-to-head with Windows or Android with a fully native ecosystem.
Meanwhile...
Huawei has released a version called OpenHarmony, which is the open-source project behind HarmonyOS. It’s governed under a license similar to Apache 2.0, allowing modification, redistribution, and contribution. It's targeted at developers, IoT device makers, and the community, and focuses mainly on embedded devices and IoT rather than full smartphones or PCs. HarmonyOS on smartphones uses AOSP (Android Open Source Project) as its base, so it inherits Android’s Linux kernel, which is open source.
China has a strong open-source culture, especially for government, enterprise, and IoT projects.
Many Chinese companies contribute to OpenHarmony and similar projects as part of the domestic tech ecosystem, partly to reduce reliance on foreign technology.
The government actively promotes Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) as part of self-reliance in tech.
In short, after the restrictions on Huawei, China went ahead and built its own hardware and software ecosystem—one that in many ways now rivals or surpasses existing proprietary systems. Even more strategically, they’ve opened much of it up to developers worldwide, offering free access to core software components to encourage app development.
I just read that more than 100,000 apps are now available for devices running HarmonyOS, with over a billion users across China and other countries not subject to trade restrictions. Compare that with Microsoft’s 2010 attempt to break into the smartphone market—where developers eagerly built apps for its closed, proprietary system. All five of them. 😄
And now, according to recent reports, HarmonyOS smartphones have surpassed Apple’s iPhones in market share—19% to 17%.
So… where does this leave us now?