All most of you have a smartphone at your hand. The smartphone is operated by the mobile operating system. However, Android is the most popular OS for mobile, many other mobile OS like KaiOS, Windows Phone, WebOS, LuneOS, and many more. In the sequence of learning today, we will discuss only KaiOS.
This KaiOS is a modern OS, but it is designed for feature phones that we call button-based smartphones and are mainly used by parents. However, the feature phones powered by The KaiOS are much more capacitive than the feature phones. We’ll discuss the advances of The OS and find out why Google invested about US$22 million in the OS? Are there claims that separate the KaiOS feature phones from other feature phones?
KaiOS
KaiOS claims to be the Emerging OS. The main goal of The KaiOS is to make feature phones a bit smarter. Many of the most famous smartphone manufacturers are using the KaiOS on their built-in feature phones. For example, HMD Global uses KaiOS as the default operating system for the current Nokia feature-phones made by HMD Global.
The OS Extra adds some features and functionality to the features-phones used by The KaiOS, although it also requires extra functionality in the hardware of the feature phones. For example, Forge Support, WiFi support, NFC payment support, apps support, progressive web app support, etc.
Although the feature phones used enough good hardware in the past, the software for feature phones was not strong enough to support such advanced features like Forge or NFC. The Kyos originally changed this whole concept.
The KaiOS has originally launched a few years ago and closed within a year, a lightweight and customized version of Mozilla’s Firefox OS that optimizes feature-phones and hardware button-based navigation.
This OS was first used on the Alcatel Flip phone, which was a fundamental low-end phone. Soon after, HMD Global used the OS within their newly created Nokia flip phone, also known as The Banana Phone, due to its color.
Then Jio, one of India’s major mobile network companies, decided to apply the OS to its basic low-cost feature phone, called Jio Phone, which is already very popular in the Indian market as the best feature phone.
However, besides these, there are many other feature phones in many other countries around the world. According to 2018 estimates, only in the Indian market, KaiOS is already behind iOS in the market share. That’s why The Third Largest Mobile OS in the world is a strong possibility.
Because, now, the smartphone user is the most, but the feature-phone user is not much less than that. And in countries like India and Bangladesh, the user of feature phones is much more than in other countries. And if there are mobiles like The Kios-powered feature phones like Nokia’s Banana phone or Geo Phone, it’s perfect for most ordinary mobile phone users. So far, the KaiOS-powered phone Worldwide has been over 40 million, and it is estimated that around 100 million KIOS-powered devices will be set ended by the end of 2018.
5 Big Features of KaiOS
Though the cost of KaiOS supported mobile phones is very low, but it has many features. Because of all these features, this OS will attract the mind of people. So some of the features are as follow:
- It supports 4G, Bluetooth, GPS, and many other file transfer apps.
- This OS supports all the world’s most popular mobile applications.
- Using Google Assistance, you can use voice to open apps, navigate and type.
- It supports many low-cost mobile devices.
- Market share of kai operating is increasing.
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But why KaiOS?
One of the biggest or biggest reasons is the app support of The KaiOS. It was never possible to imagine using apps like those that have app support on The KaiOS-powered feature phones. KaiOS also has its full-featured app store, which has a lot of apps that major developers need. Yes, all Android and iPhone App Store apps are not available in the Kai store (KaiOS’s app store name), but there are more apps than apps we can expect on feature-phones operating with a hardware button. There is also good quality in the store and apps. For example, the quality of apps in the Kaistore is better than the Windows Phone app.
You will find official first-party apps like WhatsApp, Twitter, YouTube, etc., in the Kaistore. Besides first-party apps, The Kaistore also has support for progressive web apps. Also available to use In KaiOS is Google Assistant, google’s own app or service for KaiOS. Using Google Assistant on a feature phone is almost like a dream. The dream was made true by The KaiOS.
Another reason for the KaiOS’s ascesis is that it is not an operating system but a modified version of Firefox OS, so the entire OS runs on firefox browser engines. So it’s very easy to use web apps in this OS, and The Convent is an experience that can never be found on any other feature phone. Although the KaiOS feature runs on the phone, it supports all standard web technologies such as HTML Five, JavaScript, CSS, etc. So almost all websites and web apps are easily accessible on the KiOS-powered feature phone.
Besides, the KaiOS thing has become an excellent business plan for mobile network carriers. Imagine that the network does not support the Tuji on the previous feature phones. Even though the internet was used on feature phones before, very few people used the Internet. As a result, mobile carriers could not even sell data to them.
However, the use of the KaiOS-powered feature phone will increase the number of internet users as the feature phone also has the opportunity to use the Forge. This will allow network carriers to sell data to feature-phone users. And if you believe it or not, they will get about 20 to 25% more users to sell data, which will make a big contribution to their entire business.
Mobile Operating System Market Share Worldwide
The image above has shown the market share of different mobile OS. According to the statistics of Statcounter, we found from January 2019 to January 2020, and the Android Mobile OS market share is 71.13%. On the other hand, all the other Mobile OS collectively has 29.87%. If we segregate those OS, then we will find the ratio of KaiOS is only 0.35%. But, there is hope for spreading the dominance of other mobile OS.
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Apps KaiOS Supports
The Kai mobile operating system supports all types of applications. For their application, there is a separate app store called “KaiStore”. In this app, there are more than 300 mobile applications. Facebook, Viber, Google Maps, and many other mobile apps support this low-cost mobile phone.
Mobile Phone it Supports
The main target of the Kai Operating System is low-cost production. It is supposed to be popular within the shortest possible time. With only $10, you will get a smartphone. That phone supports 3G/4G, Wifi, GPS, apps, and much more. Some of the popular mobile phones are Nokia, Smart, Jio, Tecno, Cat, etc.
Google’s $22 Million Investment in KaiOS!
In 2017, Mozilla brought Firefox to KaiOS. Even if there is no response, The Kyos have recently caught google’s attention. Although Google is currently ruling the world with Android on smartphones, KaiOS is slowly taking over the emerging markets. For example, the KOS replaces Android with Nokia’s 8110 model. Also, TCL and Micromax have a similar presence in the KaiOS.
A report in Verge says Google has invested $22 million in Kaos. While the Android system is becoming a competitor, so much money is like a surprise. However, Google has made this investment in a planned way. Google and KaiOS have agreed to create Google Assistant, Google Maps, YouTube, and Google Search apps for KaiOS together. Google’s interests are involved in the deal. Google doesn’t want KaiOS to make such an up-and-down from any other technology company.
In the past, 40 million Kyos-powered phones have been sent to the market for supply. Google recently decided to twist Android so that it could have a little space on the device. Currently, a 16 or 32GB smartphone has to be kept 3GB of space for Android running where the total space of the KaiOS device such as Nokia 8110 is only 4GB!
The Official Website of this OS
Final Thought
I hope you like today’s article. So far, you can understand why KaiOS is so valuable why it has the potential to be the third-largest and most popular mobile OS in the world (unless they make a wrong decision like Microsoft). I’m gonna end up here like I do today. If you have any questions or opinions, please report them in the Comments section.
As a matter of fact, Google Assistant is no longer a thing for KaiOS.