This archive report was first published on 11 August 2019.
On August 10, 2019, Huawei launched the Honor brand's first smart TV, which is also the first product powered by HarmonyOS, an Android alternative developed by the company.
HarmonyOS, previously known as HongmengOS, is a distributed operating system that can be used in various products, including home appliances, wearable technology, and in-car devices, according to Huawei.
The Honor Vision TV, which features HarmonyOS, is the first product to use the company's self-developed operating system, an alternative to those from Google and Apple.
According to Huawei, the new TV will become an 'information and control center' in the living room, allowing users to make high-definition video calls, sync and project files and pictures between smartphone and TV, while search and control the device by smartphone.
Speaking at the launch event, Zhao Ming, Honor's president, said, 'It's not only a TV but it represents the future of TV.'
Several reports confirmed that Huawei had been developing its own operating system for a while now in case it couldn't use Android anymore.
Ever since Google suspended Huawei's Android license in May 2019, the company has been open about its plans to develop an alternative operating system.
The company did say that Harmony OS has been in development for over two years.
The Honor Vision TV will be available in two versions, both of which are 55-inch screens with 4K HDR capability.
The Pro model has a 1080p pop-up camera for video calls with AI capabilities, including facial recognition, body tracking, and posture detection.
The Pro version has twice the storage (32GB) of the standard one and is priced at ¥4,799 (approximately $680) more expensive than its basic sibling.
Pre-orders are now open in China and a wide release is expected on August 15th, but there's no word yet on whether it'll ever be available outside Huawei's home country.
