For many years there were two operating systems on the market: Android and iOS. Unless, of course, you count the inventions of different enthusiasts. Now there is a full-fledged alternative - HarmonyOS. Even though it still has traces of the same Android, we decided to check how it works. Here you can see our first impressions. And today - our opinion about Harmony OS 2.0 after a week of acquaintance.
How does it look and operate? Harmony is very reminiscent of Android, or more precisely, the EMUI shell. The same rounded application icons, the system of several screens, the same widgets. The controls are similar. A swipe at the bottom opens recent programs, and at the top - the settings panel and notifications. But there are interesting details. For example, a swipe to the left pops up a table with news and widgets of the most used applications - a kind of mix of iOS and Android shells. In general, this continuity is even good - you do not have to get used to the new system. If you have ever used MIUI, you won't have any problems with adaptation.
What applications are there? As you know, HUAWEI has its own app market - HUAWEI AppGallery. There is almost everything you could need. I had no problem downloading the obligatory set of software: Telegram, VK, Sberbank, "Yandex" services like maps and cabs, as well as a whole galaxy of shopping and delivery apps. By the way, YouTube is also available in the AppGallery.
If something is missing, the store sends either to the manufacturer's site or downloads the software via Petal Search. For example, in this way you can easily install WhatsApp, Facebook, Gmail and other missing clients on your device.
How's work? I am a regular office worker, my job is related to texts and spreadsheets. Sometimes the service catches me in the subway or on my way home, so I got used to solving tasks from a smartphone or tablet a long time ago. What's the situation with that on Harmony? The tablet already has a built-in note editor - you can write or edit something right there. If that's not enough, you can download Microsoft's office suite from the AppGallery. There's Word, Excel, and so on. If you are used to working with Google services, there are two options. You can either download the software from the official website, or you can run it directly in your browser.
Overall, the MatePad 11 is great to work with: everything launches instantly, typing is easy, and the tables are easy to edit, too. And if you also have a HUAWEI smartphone, you can drag and drop entire chunks of text from one device to another with a single tap. Or translate the screen from tablet to smartphone and vice versa.
What about entertainment? As already mentioned, YouTube is put directly from the AppGallery. The service works flawlessly: it remembers your preferences, updates the suggestion feed, and keeps a history of views, likes, and dislikes. The branded store also has popular online movie theaters: ivi, Kinopoisk, Okko, Megogo, and so on. They all work without any problems. There are fewer games, but also enough. Of the popular ones: World of Tanks, Lords Mobile, Asphalt 9 and Garena Fire. There are shooters, races, RPGs and time-killers of all kinds. MatePad also has a handy reader. The reader understands the main formats, conveniently structures the library, and the market allows you to buy books right inside the application.
What about photos and videos? Harmony comes with a simple video editor. Nothing prevents you from slicing clips, changing color correction, and overlaying music. If you need to make a simple material for TikTok or Stories in Instagram, the program will help you. You can also process photos directly in the internal application. The application will allow you to crop the photo, apply a filter, tweak the brightness and contrast.
Bottom line All in all, HarmonyOS on the tablet is not that much different from regular Android. Even less from the EMUI shell. However, this is not too bad. After all, the main feature of the operating system is the ability to run on any gadget, from smartphones to teapots. For now, we can say that Harmony allows us to seamlessly migrate from Android to the HUAWEI system.
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