Reports are coming in that Taiwanese mobile technology firm HTC is in the process of developing their own operating system for smartphones. It is a move that shows a possible distancing from providers like Android for their OS.
HTC’s operating system will be on devices aimed specifically at the Chinese market. While their sales have been steady through the rest of the world, their market share in the region has been slipping exponentially for quite some time.
For a couple or years now HTC has been expressing their desire to develop their own mobile OS. But demand leans more towards the big guns, like Google and Apple. China has offered the perfect opportunity to break past that barrier.
Wanting to have a more controlled localized system that would assist in their needs, the Chinese government has been working with HTC to develop a software that would be compatible with their applications. But the implications go beyond that, as we can be certain that China will have a huge shopping list of regulations to apply to anything developed specifically for their citizens.
Already, there are two mobile companies with their own operating systems for Chinese users, Baidu and Alibaba. HTC would be a further step to isolate the market on a local level and remove any reliance on Android in particular.
The interesting thing about this story is more the fact that HTC is part of Google’s Open Handset Alliance. Which means they have to abide by certain guidelines in order to continue using Android on their devices elsewhere. It is difficult to see how they will develop a third-party OS that meets the requirements of both the company and the Chinese government.
Sure, they could build the OS on an Android base and have a dual system. But that would go against wishes for a distance from Google in the first place.
Whatever they are planning, both China and HTC are keeping things under wraps. We only have rumors from insiders at the company that are alleged to be close to the project. There are no details on the specifications or the aim of the operating system. Nor about any new devices that are going to feature it.
But if information is leaking, we can hope for a word from HTC about their plans in the very near future. After all, they would want to get a word in before the rumors get too out of control.
Source: Wall Street Journal