- Huawei’s HarmonyOS enters retail sector with smart cash register launch in China
- The smart register combines HarmonyOS ecosystem with Alipay payments and Meiyijia’s store network
- More than 40,000 Meiyijia locations nationwide will begin adopting the new system
Huawei has introduced a HarmonyOS smart cash register in China, marking the operating system’s first appearance in commercial hardware.
The product has been developed in partnership with Alipay and convenience store chain Meiyijia, and forms part of a joint initiative to accelerate digital retail solutions by combining resources across the payments, software, and retail sectors.
The cash register merges Huawei’s operating system and ecosystem technologies with Alipay’s payments infrastructure and Meiyijia’s large national store network.
Big plans
The register features Tap interaction, an Alipay-developed feature that allows customers to complete a payment simply by unlocking their phone and touching the terminal.
Alipay launched the Tap interaction in 2024, and the feature has since been used by more than 200 million shoppers.
Beyond simply streamlining the checkout process, the system will be able to automatically apply coupons and synchronize loyalty points, all without shoppers needing to open an app.
The HarmonyOS-powered registers will begin rolling out across more than 40,000 Meiyijia stores nationwide and the companies plan to take the collaboration into other areas.
Account integration, membership services, scalable models for smart retail operations, advertising, payment innovations, and a range of in-store digital services are all under consideration.
The arrival of HarmonyOS in retail equipment is another stage in Huawei’s strategy to deliver a domestic alternative to Android and Windows.
Originally unveiled in 2019 after seven years of development, HarmonyOS, known as Hongmeng in China, was Huawei’s answer to being cut off from Google’s Android ecosystem. It has since expanded onto tablets, wearables, IoT devices, TVs, and PCs.
HarmonyOS is already being used across a wide range of technology, and its addition to commercial equipment takes it from consumer electronics to business-facing infrastructure.
Via ITHome
