Android and iOS get competition: India wants a third smartphone alternative

Android and iOS have the mobile market firmly in their hands. More than 90 percent of all smartphones worldwide run the operating systems from Google and Apple. India's dominance is increasingly a thorn in its side. A third alternative should now ensure more competition.

WebOS, BlackBerry 10 and, of course, Windows Phone: the list of failed smartphone operating systems is long and prominent – ​​and the trio mentioned is far from over. Over the years, no third competitor has been able to hold its own against Android and iOS. However, the many failed attempts do not prevent India from trying too.

Indian government wants alternative to Android and iOS

"There is no third alternative," India's Electronics and Information Technology Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar told the Economic Times. The Indian government is very interested in developing a new smartphone operating system . The minister announced that he now wants to talk to people from the IT sector and set framework conditions that should make an Indian alternative to Android and iOS possible (source: The Economic Times).

Chandrasekhar did not reveal whether and when the vague plans would become concrete politics.

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A rocky road to establish a third smartphone operating system

HarmonyOS is currently showing how difficult it is to compete against Android and iOS. The core of Huawei's operating system is based on Android and is therefore also compatible with Android apps - an important advantage, as the failure of Windows Phone has shown. The meager app selection was the main reason for the failure of the ambitious Microsoft operating system .

But even with compatibility with Android apps and the gigantic resources that Huawei, as a billion-dollar company, can muster, HarmonyOS plays no role worldwide. Raising a third smartphone OS is anything but easy and the Indian government is likely to face a rocky road .