Is Huawei planning to ship Linux on its upcoming MateBook laptops instead of HarmonyOS NEXT? A fresh leak out of China this week suggests so.
Huawei is no stranger to selling laptops with Linux. Various models in its MateBook 13, 14, 15, and MateBook X Pro lines have been sold in both Windows and Linux configurations, with the latter typically exclusive to China and reloaded with Debian-based Deepin.
The—somewhat contentious—company has previously said all PCs released in 2025 would run the newer home-grown, closed-source HarmonyOS NEXT (viewed as an effort to wean reliance off of western-led tech companies, solidify control, and bring down costs).
HarmonyOS Next is interesting as it drops all Android components and runs its own custom micro-kernel that Huawei claims is 3x more efficient than Linux.
Yet a new leak from Weibo user UncleKanshan—a seemingly credible source on Huawei plans—says 5 updated laptops are in the offing running Linux instead:
Leaks from China-side supply chains are prone to mistranslation or misinterpretation. Those exposed to the constant churn of conflicting reports out of the Apple rumour mill can attest to that. As such, take this news with a pinch of salt.
Plus, as Huawei Central notes, the fact the leak lists “2024” as the year rather than “2025” is puzzling, as is the conflict with Huawei’s Yu Chengdong’s statement that new devices would run the new version of HarmonyOS (making no mention of Windows or Linux editions).
On the flip, Huawei is no stranger to offering Linux versions of its Windows laptops in China, having sold plenty of MateBook’s preloaded with the open-source Deepin Linux (which at one time based on Ubuntu, these days Debian).
The new laptops coming with Linux are listed as:
- MateBook D 14 Linux
- MateBook D 16 Linux
- MateBook 14 Linux
- MateBook GT 14 Linux
- MateBook X Pro Linux
As exciting as Linux on brand-name hardware may be, HarmonyOS NEXT would be an interesting introduction on a laptop given its novelty —albeit, far less compelling for western audiences.
Which is perhaps why offering Linux is more credible: HarmonyOS NEXT may already have nearly a billion users in China — but that’s on tablets, smartphones and wearables: it’s as-yet unproven as a desktop OS where productivity demands are higher.
Linux is Everywhere, Anyway
Huawei’s clout in China means more Linux laptops would be a big deal — albeit, in China.
If there’s a “catch” for those of us not in China it’s that when Huawei MateBook laptops hit western shores they run Windows. If its MateBooks are pally with Linux again, it’s unlikely Huawei’s Linux editions will be sold on Amazon — more AliExpress!
Still, the MateBook line attracts praise for positioning of price, performance, and build quality — and even if preloaded with Windows in the west, the devices are designed to run Linux well, which is something.
Kinda.
Linux laptops aren’t the rarity in 2025 they were in 2005. Today, a surfeit of top-tier products from dedicated Linux hardware companies like Slimbook, Tuxedo Computers, System76, StarLabs, et al, as well as brand-name devices preinstalled with or designed to be compatible with Linux.
And, obviously, most generic Intel/AMD laptops do run Linux well enough on a mainline kernel off-the-bat, save for the odd component here and there.
Regardless of whether this leak is accurate or not, having access to decent hardware which runs Linux well is rarely in any one companies’ hands — but the hands of open-source contributors.
Thanks gorgi!