Huawei wants 100,000 apps on Harmony OS within a year

SHANGHAI, Nov 24 (Reuters): China's Huawei, blacklisted by the US, said on Saturday it is targeting 100,000 applications for its Harmony operating system in coming months as it seeks widespread help to achieve self-reliance.
The tech giant has more than 15,000 applications based on Harmony that can meet consumers' basic needs, but the ecosystem requires more personalised and boutique apps, Huawei Chairman Xu Zhijun told a conference on Saturday.
"Based on our analysis, for the Harmony ecosystem to be mature in meeting consumer needs, 100,000 apps is the milestone, and that is the key objective over the next six to 12 months," Xu said in a speech posted on the WeChat messaging app.
The ambitious app target highlights the urgency in developing home-grown technologies as China faces elevated tensions with the US in areas ranging from trade to technology as President-elect Donald Trump threatens to be tougher on China.
Huawei launched its operating system five years ago after US sanctions cut off support for Google's Android. The Shenzhen-based company, which sells products ranging from smartphones to laptops, later developed an open-source version of the Harmony system.