Compare HarmonyOS, Android and iOS
Pick the aspects you care about and compare the three systems at a glance. Colours show where HarmonyOS has the edge, where it is on par and where it falls behind.
Aspects shown: 17
| Aspect | HarmonyOS | Android | iOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-device integrationEcosystem | Native, across phones, watches, tablets, PCs, TVs and carsAdvantage | Depends on each brand | Very good, Apple devices only |
| Device makersEcosystem | Huawei (others with OpenHarmony)Similar | Hundreds of brands | Apple only |
| In-car systemEcosystem | HarmonyOS cockpit in HIMA carsAdvantage | Android Auto / Android Automotive | CarPlay |
| App catalogueApps and services | 100,000+ native apps (400,000+ apps and services)Drawback | Millions (Google Play) | Millions (App Store) |
| Google servicesApps and services | Not availableDrawback | Built in | Available as apps |
| Instant apps without installingApps and services | Atomic services, built into the systemAdvantage | Instant Apps (limited) | App Clips |
| AI assistantApps and services | Celia as a system-level agent (HarmonyOS 7)Similar | Gemini | Siri / Apple Intelligence |
| KernelSystem | HongMeng microkernel (in-house)Similar | Linux | XNU |
| UpdatesSystem | Direct from Huawei for every deviceAdvantage | Depends on each manufacturer | Direct from Apple |
| Same maker for OS and chipSystem | Yes (Kirin)Advantage | Only some brands | Yes (Apple silicon) |
| Open source baseSystem | OpenHarmonySimilar | AOSP | No |
| Phones in EuropeAvailability | Not sold (international models run EMUI)Drawback | Yes | Yes |
| Watches in EuropeAvailability | Yes, they work with Android and iPhoneAdvantage | Wear OS | Apple Watch (iPhone only) |
| Global smartphone share (2024)Availability | ≈ 4%Drawback | Majority | Second place |
| Main languageDevelopment | ArkTS (TypeScript-based) and CangjieSimilar | Kotlin | Swift |
| One codebase for every screenDevelopment | Core design principleAdvantage | Possible, with extra work | Partly (SwiftUI) |
| Competition in the storeDevelopment | Low: a young catalogueAdvantage | Very high | Very high |
The bottom line
Of the 17 aspects, HarmonyOS has a clear advantage in 8 and falls behind in 4. Its strengths are integration and control of the whole stack; its weaknesses are apps, Google services and availability outside China. Read the full analysis in advantages of HarmonyOS over Android and iOS, or take the quiz.
Sources
- GSMArena / Counterpoint Research. HarmonyOS surpasses iOS in China, Android remains the undisputed global leader (14/03/2025)
- TechNode. Huawei says HarmonyOS native apps top 100,000 as HarmonyOS 6 devices surpass 80 million (28/08/2026)
- Huawei Central. Huawei says HarmonyOS global expansion plan is underway (06/10/2026)
- Wikipedia. HarmonyOS version history