Mar 18, 2025 10:51:00

Huawei's Windows license for PCs will expire in March 2025

by

Kārlis Dambrāns

It has become clear that the Windows licenses for PCs sold by Chinese manufacturer Huawei will expire at the end of March 2025. In the future, it is expected that the company will use open source Linux distributions and its own in-house developed operating systems.

Information name: This month's minimum fee is available when: Windows is available! --Kai Science and Technology--Science and Technology Reform Future
https://news.mydrivers.com/1/1035/1035522.htm

Huawei's Microsoft Windows license for PCs expires this month, company launching PCs with Harmony OS: Report | Tom's Hardware
https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/huaweis-microsoft-windows-license-for-pcs-expires-this-month-company-launching-pcs-with-harmony-os-report

'Huawei's Windows license expires in March 2025, but in 2019 Huawei was added to the US Department of Commerce's

Entity List . Therefore, in order for Microsoft, a US company, to re-sign a Windows license with Huawei, it must obtain an export license from the US government. Therefore, Huawei may not be able to sign a contract with Microsoft to renew its Windows license,' said Richard Yu, executive director of Huawei's consumer business unit.

Yu also said that Huawei's existing PCs may be the last to run Windows unless Microsoft obtains an export license for Windows to Huawei.

Therefore, Huawei is expected to use open source Linux distributions or its own ' HarmonyOS NEXT ' instead of Windows in the future. On the other hand, overseas media Tom's Hardware pointed out that 'Linux has a very low market share compared to Windows, and HarmonyOS NEXT could certainly be a realistic solution for Huawei, but unless it is equipped with Windows, Huawei PCs will not have a significant influence in Europe or the United States.'

According to some Chinese media, Huawei plans to announce a new 'AI PC' in April 2025. This PC, which will be equipped with Huawei's proprietary '

Kunpeng ' CPU and HarmonyOS for PCs, will be able to run the large-scale language model DeepSeek locally and will be able to use a variety of applications.

In addition, Huawei plans to release the 'MateBook D16 Linux Edition,' which will have the same appearance as the existing MateBook D16 but will run the Linux OS.

In September 2024, Huawei announced that future PCs it will release will not come with Windows.