Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android operating systems and iOS live as well-established big techs’ operating systems in our gadgets by distributing memory, computing resources to apps, and managing files and security rules at the center of the application software and hardware.
You could say that the PC and laptop operating systems are under the reins of these names since anybody on any part of the planet mostly has either Microsoft Windows or Apple’s macOS or a select few with Linux.
As of July this year, Statista’s report indicates that Microsoft Windows has been the dominant desktop operating system (OS) with 70 percent worldwide market share. Second is Apple, with around a fifth of the market share, and Linux and Google Chrome’s OS have been on steady market shares recently. Some companies have been successful in taking separate paths by building their own operating systems, and some are yet to gain technological independence from these dominant players.
Right now, Amazon made headlines again with its long-time rumored operating system that aims to power Echos, Fire TVs, Kindles, and other hardware of the e-commerce giant’s platform. Let’s check how far the company has come with it.
Amazon Breaking Free from Android
Codenamed Vega, the operating system has been in the works for a long time and has been in the talks ever since Amazon entered the hardware game. The OS is said to start next year on Fire TV devices and then on the e-commerce giant’s other smart home products. Amazon plans to replace Android with the new Linux and has already notified its partners ahead of the shift.
What it Banks on with the New OS
With the new OS, Amazon plans to produce more advertising revenue from its Fire TV, smart displays, and other products. Besides, the new OS also hopes to keep the software up to date at the company’s own pace. However, some Fire TV owners fear that the new OS could remove power user features like the sideloading. Nonetheless, the new OS does call for Amazon to start anew and have streaming app developers create fresh versions suitable to support it. The company is banking on the idea that the popularity of the Fire TV could perhaps be a positive push for developers.
Is it Easy to Manage an Entire Codebase by itself?
Now, would it be any easier for the e-commerce giant to own the entire codebase, especially given that most Android codebases revolve around aspects that smartphones and tablets need to do? Also, it takes a lot of work to build an OS. But thanks to years of burning the night oil, Amazon confidently shares that a majority of the new OS’ development work is almost complete. All that’s left is the company’s part with the SDK and convincing developers to adopt it.
The next company that is flying on its wings of freedom is Xiaomi Corp, which is also the latest industry player in China this year.
Xiaomi’s Unified OS
As the latest addition to the Chinese industry player list, Xiaomi made the game by debuting its unified operating system that could power its mobile devices, cars, and internet-connected home products.
Christened HyperOS, Xiaomi puts it as a combination of a highly customized Android system. Xiaomi says that it will support it through its proprietary Internet of Things (IoT) platform called Vela, which was specifically launched about three years ago to support smart gadgets from wristwatches, speakers, and home appliances.
Roofing the Product Portfolio under a Single OS
The Beijing-based consumer electronics major describes it as a culmination of efforts bridging its expanding product portfolio under a single OS that is human-centric for centralized and easier management.
To Hit the Market with Xiaomi 14 Series
HyperOS is believed to make a pre-installed styled entry through the latest Xiaomi 14 smartphone family, including other gadgets such as smartwatches and televisions that were launched on the mainland China market.
Prior to Xiaomi, China, on the whole, made its debut with OpenKylin, a homegrown open-source operating system.
China’s First Homegrown OS
The OS was given life thanks to collective efforts from a dedicated community of about 4000 developers. This OS is said to be taken from the inspirations of existing open-source Linux operating systems and has already found its purpose with applications belonging to the nation’s space program, finance, and energy industries.
Personifies Technology Independence
The launch of this OS personifies China’s commitment to nurturing a thriving technology sector independent of the rest of the world. That is only thanks to its years of focus on developing an OS that is free from relying on US technology. Therefore, the launch of this OS marks the nation’s biggest step towards getting closer to that goal. Of course, credits also go to the numerous companies working towards it for years together.
Where it got its Support from
A big takeaway here would be the China Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team, functioning under the Industry and Information Technology Ministry, which has this mega innovative project’s back covered.
Another icing on the cake could be that not only does China improve its national security, but it also has the distinct advantage of becoming more self-reliant from foreign technologies while feeding fodder to homegrown solutions.
In the same regard, India debuted with its BharOS, an indigenous operating system developed by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, and was tested by the Electronics and Information Technology and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
India’s Very Own OS
Developed by JandK Operations Private Limited, the BharOS is an Android open-source project-based operating system centered on privacy and security. Funded by the Indian government, the project’s objective is believed to build a free and open-source system that could be used by government and public systems. This project also shares the same principle as China, which is to be independent of foreign OS smartphones and promote the growth of locally developed technologies. Another milestone for the nation is that it gets to create an indigenous ecosystem promising a self-reliant future.
Currently, BharOS is provided to companies with strict privacy and security requirements with users who handle sensitive information that is confidentially communicated on restricted apps on mobiles.
Comes with NDA
BharOS has No Default Apps (NDA), which does not force users to use apps they may not be familiar with or have trust issues with. The OS’ current version comes with third-party apps like DuckDuckGo and Signal for default browsing and messaging.
Users are In-Charge of Giving Permissions to Apps
What’s more? BharOS allows users to stay in charge of permissions apps have on their devices. Therefore, users have the liberty to choose those apps they trust to access certain features or data on their devices. This is thanks to BharOS, which provides access to trusted apps from organisation-specific Private App Store Services (PASS). This PASS has a curated list of apps that meet certain privacy and security standards of organizations. This assures users that the apps they are installing are safe to use since they have already been checked for any potential security vulnerabilities or privacy concerns.