KaiOS, which powers Reliance Jio phones, challenges the Google Android in India – Quartz



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A two-year operating system (OS) calls into question the supremacy of Google's Android in India.

KaiOS, a subsidiary of KaiOS Technologies, based in San Diego, has gained 15% market share in India over the past year, according to May 2018 data by the DeviceAtlas market information company. Its popularity stems from the massive success of Reliance Jio phones, which operate on KaiOS

The operating system has not only dented Android's market share, but it's also imposed in the Apple iOS user base.

JioPhone 2, which will be launched soon, was unveiled on July 5th.

"The potential for KaiOS is huge when it comes to getting cheap connected phones," said Singapore-based analyst Rushabh Doshi. market research firm Canalys. "It's not a feature film and it's not a smartphone, it's a totally different product in itself."

Reaffirming its confidence in the US firm, the retail arm of Reliance group bought a 16% stake in KaiOS Technologies for $ 7 million in March. In fact, even Google has invested $ 22 million in the business last month.

A Smart Phone and Mute

KaiOS provides a nearly smartphone-level feature on a mobile phone.

as Google Maps and Google Assistant. For JioPhone 2, the OS has also integrated some of India's favorite apps like WhatsApp, Youtube and Facebook.

"Until now, you usually needed a smartphone to use these apps, making them inaccessible to many people" Sebastien Codeville, the CEO of KaiOS Technologies, 44, said in an interview with Quartz. "Bringing these applications to the JioPhone changes that and creates equal digital opportunities for everyone."

Worldwide, KaiOS works with various operators like AT & T and Sprint, as well as with phone manufacturers like HMD Global, the Nokia phone maker. However, his association with Reliance is the most lucrative. In the six months ending March 2018, Reliance Jio sold 25 million phones, more than half of the 40 million KaiOS phones sold worldwide

"The success of KaiOS in India is 100% thanks to the success of Jio and JioPhone.It is also available in Nokia phones, but we do not see those who are flying off the shelves.Jio has a better marketing strategy and a better value proposition. " said Codeville

In 2017, KaiOS set up a technical facility in Bengaluru with a team of nearly 30 engineers serving Jio.Do not disclose its specific plans for India, Codeville said the company will use Google's recent funding to accelerate global deployment of KaiOS, develop local developer ecosystems, and develop new product categories such as wearables.

we are the most dynamic and largest in the world and serve as a model for other emerging markets, "said Codeville. "… if you can create a successful operating system and business model for the next generation of phones in India, then you have a plan of action to replicate."

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