The operating system is primarily aimed at software and hardware developers that deal directly with Huawei.

[7] The rich execution environment (REE) version of HarmonyOS microkernel is placed at its core with a single framework as kernel mode.

The OS shares lineage with the lightweight LiteOS real-time operating system for resource-constrained devices like smart wearables and IoT products.

[9][10] The HarmonyOS Kernel utilizes a microkernel architecture, which aims to improve security and performance by isolating critical components of the system.

While retaining the speed of monolithic mainline Linux kernel compatibility subsystem of modular OpenHarmony standard system within its kernel abstraction layer as compatibility layer with POSIX APIs and third-party musl-libc integrated support for bigger advanced devices for some critical tasks at user mode of HarmonyOS operating system commercial distro.

The kernel has Linux ABI compatibility by placing an ABI-compatible shim in IC0 (kernel space) with support for OpenHarmony and AOSP complex framework hardware migration deployments, which redirects Linux system calls to IPC and serves as a central repository for global state.

HarmonyOS kernel capabilities in context switching, network, application startup time, load, frame loss, interrupt latency, etc., and also performance optimised in smart routers and smart vehicles with real time capabilities functions.

Applications leveraging FAs and PAs offer distinct service features and enable cross-device scheduling and distribution, ensuring a consistent and efficient user experience.

[17] The kernel of HarmonyOS NEXT does not include the compatibility layer of AOSP framework with Android libraries from EMUI in the user space and cannot run Android apk apps natively, as is the case with the dual framework HarmonyOS.