What to expect on Huawei’s June 2 event
Huawei’s big HarmonyOS event is this Wednesday (June 2) and will introduce the second version of the in-house OS. Harmony has been around for a couple of years now, but version 2 brings a tectonic shift – it will power phones, tablets and smartwatches, not just smart TVs.
Huawei teasing more than just a new OS for June 2 (image credit)
The event should feature a more detailed look at the new OS version (beyond unofficial video demos). And what better way to unveil the first devices that will be run HarmonyOS 2.0? Here is what we expect to see on Wednesday.
Huawei MatePad 2 and Pro 2 – Very likely
With Huawei teasing a new M-Pencil stylus it seems more than likely that we’ll get a new tablet – perhaps two. The Huawei MatePad Pro 2 is expected to have a 12.9” 120 Hz OLED display, a Kirin 9000 chipset (with 5G connectivity, 9000E for the Wi-Fi model) and 40W fast charging (and 27W wireless charging).
Alleged Huawei MatePad Pro 2 image (credit)
There should be a Huawei MatePad 2 model, which should be smaller, though perhaps not by much – we’ve heard talk of a 12.2” model (a different panel may make a bigger difference).
Alleged screenshot of HarmonyOS 2.0 running on the Huawei MatePad Pro 2
Interestingly, leaksters have been calling the software “PadOS”, a branch of HarmonyOS specially dedicated to tablets (just like Apple does with iOS/iPadOS). Anyway, the new tablets may become available soon after the reveal.
Huawei Watch 3 – Very likely
Huawei also teased a watch, this is expected to be the Huawei Watch 3. Running HarmonyOS, of course, unlike the GT-series that the company has been focused on until recently. Those use the related LiteOS, but are not as capable as the WearOS watches. This one should match the Google OS in terms of capabilities.
Huawei Watch 3 spy shots (image credit)
The Watch 3 is also expected to have an eSIM for a data connection even without a smartphone present (a feature that has been absent from recent Huawei watches). Whether or not it will be able to measure blood pressure is unclear (that is targeted for H2, which might mean a new device or an update pending approval from the medical authorities).
The Huawei Watch 3 will have a revamped UI
Huawei has ambitious goals for HarmonyOS and wants it to reach 300 million devices by the end of the year, including 100 million that have it pre-installed (the numbers, of course, include things as big as tablets or TVs and as small as watches).
Huawei P50 series – doubtful
Huawei did tease the P50 series, but we doubt that we will see a full launch – an introduction and a demo, perhaps. If the company has started mass production of its new flagship smartphone line, it would have leaked. And we haven’t heard anything convincing yet.
That is not to say that fans won’t get to use a Huawei phone running HarmonyOS soon. That will be achieved through updating existing Android models – leaked info suggests that the migration plan includes the Mate 40 series, the Mate X2, the original MatePad Pro and a couple of nova 8 models.
Speculative 3D render of the Huawei P50 Pro (image credit)
The source that brought this info also claims that eligible devices that are stocked on store shelves have already been updated, so soon users will be able to go in for a hands-on experience (in China, at least). This has bigger implications too, Huawei might stop selling Android-powered phones altogether (at least in the high-end segment).
Already official
Huawei unveiled the FreeBuds 4, some Ryzen-powered laptops recently, as well as a couple of MateView monitors.
Recent additions to the Huawei product line-up going on sale on June 1
We expect we’ll see some (if not all) of these make a brief appearance as a show of strength from the Huawei ecosystem.
