Mobile platforms can often be a perilous preposition. The mobile market is as competitive as it is complex, but that is not stopping from companies trying their hands at it.
If you thought the number of (popular) mobile operating systems is enough, then prepare for a bit of bewildering news — Taiwanese mobile phone maker HTC Corporation is reportedly working on its very own mobile operating system.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the new OS is on track to be officially launched in China, and will actually be exclusive for the market.
Still unnamed, this new operating system is expected to launch before the end of this year. HTC is said to be focusing on integrating specific Chinese apps and services into this mobile operating system — including the popular Weibo (think Chinese version of Twitter).
Specifics on what the upcoming operating system are scarce at the moment, and there is no confirmation on whether it is an original development or something that is based upon Android. Google’s open source platform is used by a number of hardware makers in China, after all.
But this new platform would be part of the Chinese government’s attempts to enhance the range of homegrown software, as it tries to detach from US companies like Microsoft, Apple and Google.
Redmond does consider China as one of the two most important markets for Windows Phone (the other being US, of course), and Microsoft has increased its focus on the country in the past few months, in terms of hardware and bringing to market affordable Windows Phone handsets.
However, it seems that it could soon face some tough competition with HTC’s rumored effort.
