Over the years, Android has proven to be the most widespread and dominant operating system globally and it does not seem to be slowing down any time soon. It is Google’s champion mobile operating system and has found its way into the smartphone market, taking over more than 86% of the market share.
Although there is nothing outright wrong with Android’s dominance, it is a well-known truth that the possession of absolute power and control by one company can be destructive.
It is, therefore, safer to have alternative operating systems in circulation. Last year, the United States issued an order against Chinese products which led Google to restrict Huawei from the use of Android.
While Huawei is worked on an alternative operating system for their millions of users across the world, the restriction shows the damage that absolute power can cause.
We can only imagine how destructive it would be to smaller companies who don’t have the resources and technical know-how to create their own operating system if they are kicked out of the Android camp.
In this article, I would be sharing with you a bunch of alternative operating systems that are great and effective.
Kai0S (Open Source)
This is a fast-growing mobile operating system. Ironically, you’ve probably never heard of it. Kai OS is for ultra-budget devices that mostly come with low-end hardware, so it is understandable if you’ve not heard of it.
The Nokia Banana phone and a lot of Reliance Jio phones in the Indian market use KaiOS. The operating system is web-based and developed on the HTML 5 platform.
It is a lightweight OS that supports web-based apps and is updated regularly. However, it is not yet effective enough for the main operating system market.
Harmony OS
Huawei has proven over the years to be a company that stands out. If there is one company to trust with an effective alternative to Android, it would definitely be them.
The company produces its own chipsets and is at the fore-front of 5G networking not forgetting the magical attributes of their smartphone camera.
As a result of the US government’s ban on them which led to their dissociation from Android, Harmony OS was unleashed. The Chinese giants explain that the OS supports Android apps and is micro-kernel based.
It was originally meant for just smart speakers, smart displays, wearables, and other IoT devices, however, it supports smartphones too.
Ubuntu Touch (Open Source)
This operating system has the potential to be a powerful one like Android OS. Ubuntu is usually optimized for devices that are touch-friendly like smartphones and tablets.
Ubuntu OS can be used by any manufacturer of smartphones. It is an open-source operating system that runs naturally in a mobile touch-screen environment while also functioning effectively as a desktop computer in “desktop mode”.
Ubuntu comes with basic apps like Calendar, Telegram, Music app, Maps and so many more.
However, it is fully dependent on your contribution to keep on running due to its development by the community. It also cannot match the third-party app support that Android does efficiently.
Tizen OS (Open Source)
This is a mobile operating system that was developed and brought to the limelight by Samsung Electronics. Tizen OS is backed by the Linus Foundation.
It is compatible with smartwatches, cameras, appliances like refrigerators, and of course, smartphones. Additionally, it is an HTML5 application that reduces the difficulty of developers in creating applications.
However, like Ubuntu, its third-party app support does not function effectively and is thereby negligible.
These are a few alternatives to the Android operating system in the world today. So, we would like to ask you a few questions;
- Did you learn about any new operating system?
- Is there any credible one I omitted from the list?
- Is there anyone you just read about that looks exciting to you and you feel is worth your trial?
Simply drop your answers in the comment section below. We would love to hear from you.