HTC reportedly developing its own operating system

HTC will develop its own proprietary operating system, the Wall Street Journal has reported. The software will be targeted specifically to the Chinese market.

HTC will develop its own proprietary operating system, the Wall Street Journal has reported. The software will be targeted specifically to the Chinese market.

According to sources at the Wall Street Journal, the Taiwanese manufacturer has long contemplated launching a mobile operating system for the Chinese market. The software would have the advantage of being culturally and linguistically tailored to Chinese consumers as well as allowing the development of an applications platform in line with Chinese regulations.

In principle, the Wall Street Journal reports, HTC's decision to pursue a proprietary operating system in China will not have an impact on its agreements with Google regarding the use of the Android operating system on HTC phones in other countries.

Samsung, also aiming to reduce its dependence on Google's Android, will this fall present its first devices running Tizen, a new Linux-based open-source operating system that the South Korean company has been involved in developing.

Currently, 79 % of smartphones sold worldwide are equipped with Android, compared to 14.2 % with iOS and 3.3 % with Windows Phone, according to Gartner.