Robert Triggs / Android Authority
TL;DR
- A Huawei executive reportedly said that Harmony OS is coming to Europe in 2022.
- The employee was asked why Harmony OS wasn’t available on the newly launched Nova 9 phone.
- The Huawei representative also confirmed that new Mate phones are coming next year, skipping 2021.
Huawei decided to create its own mobile platform dubbed Harmony OS in the wake of the US trade ban. The platform, which purportedly shares a lot in common with Android, has largely been restricted to China. But a company representative has now revealed a rough window for wider availability.
Huawei executive Derek Yu told Romania’s Adevărul outlet (h/t: Gizmochina) that Harmony OS will come to European users in 2022. Yu gave his answer after the outlet asked why the recently launched Huawei Nova 9 came to the market with Android 11 instead of Harmony OS.
It wouldn’t be the first time Harmony OS devices landed in global markets, as the MatePad Pro line of tablets arrived with the platform earlier this year. It would however mark the first time we see the platform on smartphones outside China.
Mate and foldable devices in 2022
One phone line we haven’t seen in 2021 is the Mate series, with the Mate 50 family initially expected in Q3 or Q4 this year. This omission hasn’t gone unnoticed by Adevărul either, and the outlet asked Yu about the missing device family.
“The Mate series is on its way and will be released in 2022,” the executive is quoted as saying. He didn’t clarify whether the 2022 Mate phones would land in global markets or if they would be restricted to China. This wouldn’t be the only major release to be delayed in some form, as the company revealed back in October that the P50 series global launch is postponed to early 2022.
Finally, the Huawei representative acknowledged that the Mate X2 foldable didn’t make it to Europe, but said the “latest foldable” will come to the region and will be launched at MWC 2022. It’s unclear if this latest device is simply the Mate X2 or if it’s an all-new foldable. For what it’s worth, Huawei restricted the original Mate X to China in 2019 before the tweaked Mate XS came to global markets in 2020. But there are rumors regarding an all-new Huawei foldable being in the works. So we’ll have to wait and see what Huawei eventually brings to MWC.
Nevertheless, it’s clear that Huawei still insists on having a global presence in the smartphone space in 2022 despite its major slide in the last year or two. But those hoping for sanctions to be lifted next year might not want to hold their breath.
