Library — access to downloaded books, favorites, and current listening
Development of the “Litres” Application for Huawei Watch 5 on HarmonyOS
Litres is the largest e-book and audiobook service in Russia and the CIS countries. The application for downloading and listening to books and podcasts is already successfully operating on Android and iOS.
The company decided to expand its presence to new devices, the latest generation of Huawei smartwatches.
Project goal: To develop the first Litres mobile application on HarmonyOS for the new Huawei Watch 5 model, preserving all key features and usability.
Tasks:
1
Develop an application on HarmonyOS
2
Implement in-app purchasing, downloading, and playback of audiobooks and podcasts
3
Design user-friendly layouts for circular watch displays, leveraging the device’s advanced features
4
Support both online and offline usage
5
Make navigation as simple and clear as possible
6
Synchronize the main Litres app with the user account and simplify the payment process
7
Test and debug the mobile application
Features:
HarmonyOS is a new operating system for the Russian and European markets
Huawei Watch 5 is a recently launched device powered by HarmonyOS, with an ecosystem of apps that is still developing
The round 466×466-pixel display requires an ergonomic design that accounts for specific UI/UX considerations
Stable player operation is crucial, even if the watch is disconnected from the network or the smartphone
Solution
Developing on HarmonyOS required the Morizo team to be ready for experimentation in a situation with limited information.
Development: During the project, the team analyzed documentation in both English and Chinese, ran tests and experiments, and adapted cutting-edge AI solutions. All functionality was built from scratch using the platform’s UI components. Even AI bugs became starting points for finding our own solutions and this approach proved to be fully justified.
Design: According to Litres analytics, the watch app is most frequently used in three scenarios: on the go, during workouts, and for spontaneous purchases out of curiosity. These three scenarios helped us create a convenient and pleasant interface.
The Morizo team increased the size of key elements, making the watch easy to use even while in motion. The screen displays an optimal amount of information: the book or podcast title, a button for switching chapters, download status, and navigation to the previous screen or main menu.
The team also optimized audiobook controls—volume adjustment, play, pause, and rewind, making the interaction with the compact screen intuitive and precise.
Our team implemented the following features in the app:
Player — rewind, pause, volume control, bookmarks
Search — text search through the catalog
Recommendations — content catalog with the ability to add items to favorites
Book card — the ability to select and purchase an audiobook through the app interface
Authorization — sign-in via QR code from the main app
Results
Audience growth by …%
Attracting users from the Huawei ecosystem who had not previously used the service on wearable devices
Increase in average order value
Users are more likely to make impulse book purchases (for example, during a jog)
Increase in average session duration by …%
Huawei Watch 5 owners have become more active users of the Litres service
Positive feedback
Users note the convenience of managing audiobooks during workouts and travel, even without an Internet connection
During the launch of the new watches, the first applications for Huawei wearable devices in Russia based on the HarmonyOS platform were developed, and the Morizo team is proud to have been a part of this project.
"Проект позволил быстро, меньше чем за 2 месяца, выйти на новую для Литрес поверхность и начать работать с аудиторией часов. Маленький экран (1,5 дюйма), навигация колёсиком и рамкой, малый объём памяти, новая операционная система HarmonyOS и другие особенности стали интересным и сложным вызовом для команды. Реализация выполнена так, что каждая функция – от синхронизации до офлайн-режима – продумана до мелочей. Приложение получилось отличным сопровождением для занятия спортом и особенно для пробежек, когда телефон не хочется с собой нести."
Борис Папинян, руководитель направления поверхности и устройства для чтения группы компаний "Литрес"