Huawei is preparing to test its HarmonyOS ecosystem outside China, marking its clearest stated plan yet for an eventual global expansion. The company has not named the countries or regions that will take part in the initial pilots, nor has it set a timetable for a wider release.
Xu Zhijun, Huawei’s vice chairman and rotating chairman, outlined the approach at the HarmonyOS Ecosystem Conference 2026 in Shenzhen on August 28. Huawei plans to work with OpenHarmony, GIIC, developers and overseas partners in markets where conditions are considered suitable, using those tests to validate its model before expanding further, according to STAR Market Daily.
The company is entering the pilot phase with a larger installed base for its latest platform. Xu said HarmonyOS 6 had surpassed 80 million devices as of August 20, with Huawei targeting more than 100 million devices in the fourth quarter. The number of native HarmonyOS applications has also exceeded 100,000.
Huawei has a major European event scheduled in Munich on September 2, where the Watch 6, Watch GT 7 and Watch D3 have been associated with the launch. However, Huawei has not confirmed that HarmonyOS international pilots will be discussed at the event, and there is no confirmed link between the Munich presentation and the expansion plan.
The first pilot markets and the local partners supporting them will be the key details to watch. Huawei’s ability to establish an international HarmonyOS presence will depend not only on device sales, but also on whether developers and services in each selected market build out the ecosystem around it.
