An obscure OS could surpass ChromeOS by the end of 2027 Huawei's Harmony OS grows 9x in 12 months, and it's only the beginning

Date:
Fri, 13 Mar 2026 23:05:00 +0000

Description:
HarmonyOS expands from smartphones to PCs, showing tenfold growth potential, leveraging Huaweis ecosystem, and reaching almost one billion devices.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get the TechRadar Newsletter Sign up for
breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are
now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter HarmonyOS PC shipments projected to increase tenfold to 1.4 million units in 2026 Global PC market expected to fall 12% in 2026, while Chrome takes a 28% dive Rising memory and storage prices strain vendors of low-cost PCs sharply Huaweis HarmonyOS is rapidly expanding beyond smartphones and tablets, emerging as a notable platform for desktops and business laptops .

In 2025, HarmonyOS PCs sold only 141,000 units, but forecasts suggest that figure could increase tenfold to 1.4 million in 2026. This growth comes even as the global PC market contracts, highlighting a potential shift in platform adoption that could allow HarmonyOS to outpace ChromeOS within two years. Article continues below You may like Google's Aluminium-merged OS brings familiar vibes - but I have a lot of lingering questions PC sales set for a 2026 downturn as memory demand hits other devices No, the sub-$500 PC market will not disappear by 2028 - Au contraire, I expect it to thrive. Here's why PC market pressures create openings The global PC market is expected to decline 12% in 2026, with shipments of desktops, notebooks, and workstations falling to 245 million units.

Rising memory and storage prices have strained vendors, particularly in products priced below $500, which are projected to drop 28%.

Windows PCs are expected to fall 12%, and ChromeOS devices face an even steeper decline of 28%, largely due to education-focused demand and tighter component allocation.

Macs are forecast to decline only 5%, benefiting from premium pricing and integrated supply chains. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features
and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

HarmonyOS remains minor on desktops and business laptops, but its growth trajectory stands out.

Analysts note that a tenfold increase from a small base demonstrates momentum in segments where cost-sensitive consumers and regional adoption favor
Huaweis platform.

The supply-driven downturn in 2026 will not affect all PC platforms equally, said Kieren Jessop, Research Manager at Omdia. What to read next 'Our focus areas are enterprise... and just continuing to grow at the premium, you know, higher-end of the market': AMD CEO plays down global memory shortage, says
she expects PC market to shrink Even Lenovo is getting concerned about global chip shortages - CEO says world's largest manufacturer will 'expect PC unit sales to face pressure' The NexPhone could already be the most important hardware launch of 2026

HarmonyOS-based PCs are emerging as a notable growth segment, forecast to expand tenfold year on year from a small base as Huawei ramps up its PC ecosystem in China.

The operating system s expansion is closely tied to Huaweis device ecosystem, which could allow it to leverage smartphones , tablets, and peripherals to accelerate adoption in PCs.

Huawei's operating system, HarmonyOS, launched in 2019 as a response to the U.S. banning Huawei from using Android.

In 2024, the company launched HarmonyOS Next and transitioned its PCs to the new system, just as it did with its phones.

This strategy has proved successful, with HarmonyOS and the Next version now on almost one billion devices .

Although HarmonyOS remains small compared with Windows and ChromeOS, the platforms year-on-year growth and strategic ecosystem integration suggest it could claim a larger share of the global market by the end of 2027.

If Huawei maintains production capacity and component supply, its presence in business laptops and desktops may create a new alternative for cost-sensitive buyers.

In emerging markets, Huaweis HarmonyOS will likely become a contender in segments that are otherwise declining. Follow TechRadar on Google News and
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