Android has brought advanced
Smartphones to the masses due to the free OS. But even Android are quite
demanding when it comes to the System Specifications. You still need a powerful
processor and plenty of RAM.
Now it seems like Android might get
competition. According to Reuters: " An industry alliance including the top
wireless chipset provider Qualcomm will step up competition in the smartphone
software market on Monday, with a new Internet-based free technology for
cheaper smartphones."
Telecom operator Telefonica, Qualcomm
and Mozilla Foundation, creator of Firefox Internet browser, who have worked on
creating the platform since last year, will show devices running it at the
Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona.
The new platform combines HTML5, the
preferred standard for creating mobile browser content, with some of the core
elements of Linux technology, cutting the need for a separate operating system
and enabling fast roll-out of smartphones.
"If you are doing Android phones
now, you can bring up a machine in days," Jay Sullivan, vice president of
products at Mozilla, told Reuters.
Cutting some layers of traditional
operating systems allows the new platform to be used on smartphones with lower
processing power and a smaller cost of materials.
Carlos Domingo, director of Product
Development & Innovation at Telefonica's Digital unit, said this enables
significantly cheaper prices than the low-end Android models when they come to
market later this year.
"This is the way to bring
smartphones to masses on emerging markets," Domingo said.
The cheapest Android Smartphones sell for around $80 in East Africa. Are we going to see smartphones selling for $40.
The secret is if there will be Apps available for the new platform. To start a new Eco system competing against Apple and Google is a challenge but by basing the new OS on HTML5 they might have a head-start.