Huawei is determined to update as many devices as possible with Harmony OS and not just ship new hardware like the MatePad series. The Chinese tech giant has announced plans to update over 100 phones, tablets and smart screens with its latest software, including some surprisingly old products.
You can assume that Huawei will not only update current products like the Mate 40 and P40 series with its Android 10 variant, but also “classics” from the Mate 9 and P10 – both well over four years old. You can also expect Harmony OS versions for many Nova models as well as “some” Honor products that were released before the end of 2020 when the brand split from Huawei.
It can take a while for Huawei to deliver an update for your favorite phone. Some products will be updated in June, including the P40, Mate 40, Mate 30, and certain MatePad Pro models. Mate XS users, some Mate 20 owners and those with numerous Nova and MatePad models will have to wait until the third quarter of the year. You will have to wait until the fourth quarter to get an update for your P30 series, Mate 20 X, or Mate X. And if you’re looking to upgrade to an old device like the Mate 9 or P10, you’ll be waiting until the first half of 2022.
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Huawei told Android authority that the Harmony OS upgrade plan only applies to hardware in China. According to a spokesperson, there will be news on international rollouts when more information becomes available.
Nevertheless, Huawei’s update plan is ambitious. The company is effectively creating a unified experience for most of the devices it has shipped in the past few years – even other Android heavyweights like Samsung don’t offer that kind of consistency. Harmony OS’s older Android 10 roots help (trying this out with Android 12 would be a different story), but it could still be a welcome move if you’re concerned that your mobile devices might be left behind.