Cheap mobile phones to gain high-powered operating systems

MOVING UP: Smartphone operating systems such as Google's Android are set to make their way onto China's cheap mobile phones. - Relaxnews

Mobile operating systems such as Google's Android, Nokia's Symbian and Microsoft's Windows Mobile are set to make their way onto China's cheap mobile phones.

Chinese-based consumer electronics seller Chinavasion predicts that the shift from proprietary mobile phone operating systems to open-sourced operating systems will completely change China's mobile phone market, creating new opportunities for China's mobile manufacturers.

"We are looking at what is potentially the most exciting development in the cheap mobile phone sector in years," said Rose Li, PR manager, Chinavasion in a statement.

Chinese-made devices priced at less than US$130 (RM416) have typically been powered by the Nucleus real-time operating system (RTOS), but with the advent of open-source operating systems, manufacturers are now starting to make the shift.

"While the Nucleus RTOS is a very capable OS it doesn't have nearly the same potential that Windows, or Android or Symbian has," explained Rose Li.

For consumers the change means they may soon see smartphone-like features such as PC syncing, productivity tools, online browsing, email, and customisable phone applications on low-end mobile phones.

An August study by market research ABI suggests that by 2015 more than 60% (about 3.8 billion handsets) of mobile phones worldwide will be capable of surfing the Internet via a mobile web browser.