"Star Daily" news, October 8th (Reporter: Huang Xinyi) HarmonyOS NEXT, known as the "pure-blood Harmony", has started public testing. The first batch of public testing models include Huawei Mate 60 series, Mate X5 series, and MatePad Pro 13.2 series.

So far, mainstream applications such as Xiaohongshu, Railways 12306, jd.com, Weibo, and DingTalk have announced the completion of HarmonyOS native application versions. With Huawei HarmonyOS NEXT starting public testing today, the HarmonyOS versions of Weibo, WPS, DingTalk, and others have also started public testing simultaneously.

The much-anticipated WeChat HarmonyOS version, which has not shown any progress, also started inviting internal testing today. Users who have upgraded to HarmonyOS NEXT can experience it in advance after receiving the invitation.

It is reported that the WeChat HarmonyOS native version includes basic social communication, audio and video calls, Moments, and WeChat payment functions such as QR code collection/payment. The WeChat team stated that the various functions of the WeChat HarmonyOS native version are continuously adapting and will be gradually updated and improved in subsequent versions.

"Star Daily" reporters noted that many applications still lack HarmonyOS adaptation. Netease's games "Egg Party" and "Eternal Rebirth" have not completed all debugging work for HarmonyOS system, reminding players to upgrade cautiously.

An analyst in the consumer electronics industry told the "Star Daily" reporter that the launch of the Huawei Mate 70 series is expected to be a key moment. "There is still more than a month to go, and by then, apps like WeChat should be usable."

Half of the internet giants have officially announced their access to HarmonyOS.

At the Hongmeng Qianfan Battle Oath Ceremony held at the Huawei Bantian Base at the end of September, major players in the domestic internet industry such as baidu, bilibili, dingding, east money information, jd.com, beijing kingsoft office software, inc, kuaishou, meituan, alipay, sinkaihong, tencent, netease, weibo, and others were all present.

The WeChat HarmonyOS version has started inviting internal testing today. Tencent's PR director, Zhang Jun, stated that this WeChat HarmonyOS version will randomly push internal testing invitations to some users. If you have not received the push, please be patient, as it will later become available in the "Early Access" section.

In addition to WeChat starting internal testing, Tencent's games "King of Glory" and "Peace Elite" have initiated limited-time closed beta testing for the HarmonyOS NEXT version.

Xiaohongshu has completed the development of the full version of HarmonyOS native applications, adding support for HarmonyOS features such as system-level minor mode, scan-to-reach, service interconnection, AI cropping, photo consistency, HDR Vivid, and Moving Photo.

Dingding's HarmonyOS native version has been listed on the HarmonyOS NEXT App Market. After the launch of the public beta for Huawei's native HarmonyOS on October 8, they fully initiated public testing.

▍Some applications have not yet been adapted.

As of now, there are over 0.9 billion HarmonyOS ecosystem devices, with over 0.01 million applications and essential services listed on the HarmonyOS NEXT App Market. The number of developers registered in the Huawei Developer Alliance has also grown to 6.75 million.

However, many apps have not finished adaptation. Before this public testing, NetEase's "Egg Party" stated that the mobile game has not completed all debugging tasks for the HarmonyOS system, and the development team will soon finish debugging and integration. NetEase's "Endless Arena" mobile game official also sent emails to players, stating that they have not completed all debugging tasks for the HarmonyOS system, and after updating the HarmonyOS NEXT system, they will temporarily be unable to continue playing the Endless Arena game. They advise players to be cautious with the update.

In addition, Ford Motor also notified users on October 7th that the Ford Pass app can currently only ensure support for smartphones running on iOS and Android systems. Smartphones running on other systems may not be able to use the Ford Pass app and its related features properly. If the phone is running on iOS or Android system, users are advised not to upgrade to other systems. If there are future versions of the app compatible with other systems or adjustments made to adapt the app to different phone systems, they will be released and announced through official channels like the website.

An analyst in the consumer electronics industry told a reporter from the Star Market Daily that the HarmonyOS ecosystem still needs to be developed step by step, and it is expected that the launch of Mate70 will be a key milestone. "There are definitely many apps that have not been adapted yet, still more than a month to go. It is estimated that by the time of the Mate70 launch, top apps like WeChat will be available."

▍Open Source HarmonyOS Completes Version Update to Align with Native HarmonyOS

After the release of OpenHarmony 5.0 Beta1 in June, Huawei officially launched OpenHarmony 5.0.0 Release version, pushing for alignment between OpenHarmony and HarmonyOS. This update aims to improve user experience, data security, and audio-visual entertainment, making it easier for developers to develop more efficiently.

Zhongtai Technology stated, "HarmonyOS = OpenHarmony + HMS. Huawei has opened up the HMS interface to the public, with most HMS services provided for free and some offering limited free services per cycle. The alignment of OpenHarmony 5.0 version with HarmonyOS, ecosystem connectivity, is a significant bullish signal for ecosystem partners."

Multiple listed companies have participated in the HarmonyOS ecosystem development. Zhongtai Technology believes that as the Harmony native app ecosystem matures, the commercialization of HarmonyOS on a large scale is imminent in 2024, expected to drive a large number of application software vendors to adapt, migrate, and develop. Companies in the HarmonyOS industry chain will benefit, suggesting a focus on industry chain operating system partners, application partners, hardware integration partners.

Huaxin Securities stated that over 0.01 million apps and elements, accounting for 99.9% of consumer usage time, have been listed on the Harmony app market, covering 18 vertical areas including autos, education, lodging, financial management, business office, shopping comparison, audio-visual entertainment, practical tools, and games. It is suggested to pay attention to relevant software and hardware companies.