> Microsoft failure with Windows Phone was partly because even after incentivizing developers, they still could not get a critical mass of apps on their platform. Plus any new apps were not getting WP versions along with Android/iOS.

My thoughts exactly. For the Chinese market everything might work out just fine, as the article says. But for the west, as soon as one or two killer apps won't get ported, it's game over. I think Google never did for Windows phone, which probably did play an important role (among the many other mistakes made. Microsoft didn't exactly make it easy to jump into app development, probably due to arrogance.)

If harmony doesn't get YouTube, Facebook, Spotify or Snapchat, it doesn't matter how great the OS is under the hood.

Other than YouTube, all the other apps have a vested interest in seeing a new competitor to Google controlled Android.

If Harmony OS is a decent and open OS, I suspect they will all jump onto it.

The only concern may be Google apps, but then, it’s possible that Google may also create Harmony OS supported apps so they can access the Chinese market.

That's a good point, but it's also a hen and egg problem. If the platform isn't that widespread you might be hesitant to support it. (assuming it's not actually super easy to port over Android apps as suggested).

While Windows phone definitely was a very different platform from both IOS and Android, it was still amazing how shoddy some major players' apps ran on it. Stability, performance and features were often lacking. The tools, documentation and lack of sample code was definitely to blame, but even then you still need to learn a new platform.

App developers have already trouble "jumping" onto the latest version of the one or two mobile platforms they support, I doubt there would be much enthusiasm to add another one to the bunch.

Indie developers often support only one platform because any more than that is practically infeasible with a small team (n<3) to do if you have a modicum of respect for your clients.

You've missed Amazon out here, who have a vested interest in keeping the non-Google controlled Android competitor they have as the only one.

Every other app also has competition, bugs and features to keep them busy with their iOS and Android apps

It's not that Google never supported Windows Phone. They actively harmed the platform by heavily restricting 3rd party apps.

Just to clarify because I didn’t get it at first read

they mean restricting an unofficial say YouTube app

Various note, Todo, photo and video apps, banking apps, Imgur, Reddit, Dropbox and others, Outlook/Gmail, eBay. Besides the big ones, there's so many smaller ones that will not be available.

Why get a Huawei when there's Sony, Samsung, LG, and more with the same hardware (still amazed at the A50 - previous gen top end specs at a third of the price) and the familiar and useful software. IIRC Huawei isn't even that friendly to custom ROMs nowadays, even Sony has a free unlock program.