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McDonald’s China pushes development of native apps based on HarmonyOS, as adoption of Huawei’s mobile operating system accelerates
- McDonald’s China unit is part of the first batch of multinational food companies on the mainland that have committed to build apps based on HarmonyOS
- A developer preview version of Huawei’s new mobile operating system, HarmonyOS Next, is expected to launch in the first quarter of 2024
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Iris Dengin Shenzhen
McDonald’s China unit will work with Huawei Technologies to build a native app based on the next iteration of HarmonyOS, according to the fast-food giant, as adoption of the US-sanctioned telecommunications equipment and smartphone maker’s self-developed operating system gathers momentum in its vast home market.
The Chinese arm of McDonald’s – with a network of more than 5,500 restaurants and over 200,000 employees serving more than 1 billion customers each year – is part of the first batch of multinational food companies on the mainland that have committed to develop native apps on HarmonyOS, according to a statement by the US fast-food chain on Wednesday.
HarmonyOS Next, the new version of Huawei’s mobile operating platform, will enable McDonald’s customers to order meals by accessing its applications from various devices including smartphones, tablets and smart cars, the Chicago, Illinois-based company said.
The cooperation agreement between McDonald’s China and Huawei further bolsters the Shenzhen-based tech giant’s strategy to widen the adoption of HarmonyOS as an alternative ecosystem on the mainland, as set out by company founder and chief executive Ren Zhengfei this year to counter the impact of US sanctions. HarmonyOS Next will not support Android-based apps on all Huawei devices installed with the new operating system.
McDonald’s latest initiative in China, the company’s second-largest market behind the US, comes weeks after it bought the entire 28 per cent stake held by private equity firm Carlyle Group in the unit that operates and manages the fast-food chain’s business on the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau.
After that transaction, McDonald’s ownership in its China unit increased from 20 per cent to 48 per cent. A consortium led by state-backed conglomerate Citic has a controlling stake of 52 per cent.
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