KaiOS and its features

KaiOS Technologies powers an emerging ecosystem of affordable digital products and services. It's a web-based operating system that enables a new category of smart feature phones and other IoT devices that require limited memory, while still offering a rich user experience. KaiOS aims to help bridge the digital divide - connecting the billions of people in emerging markets who still don’t have internet access, as well as those in established markets who are looking for easy-to-use phones with advanced functionality.

This operating system first appeared in 2017 and is developed by KaiOS Technologies Inc., a San Diego, California-based company headed by CEO Sebastien Codeville with other countries offices such as in France, Germany, Taiwan, India, Brazil, Hong Kong, and mainland China. This operating system currently powers phones in Canada, the United States, and India through partnerships with Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Reliance Jio. And the newest partners include Bullitt, Doro, and HMD/Nokia. Together with partners, KaiOS team anticipated the solution to a problem that nobody else was solving - how to migrate customers from 2G/3G to 4G, while everyone else was focused on smartphones. There are only two carriers in the world today who have the ability and resources to do LTE broadcast - Reliance Jio and Verizon.

KaiOS powers phones made by OEMs including Nokia (HMD), Micromax and Alcatel, and it counts offices in North America, Europe, and Asia. It's one fork of Firefox OS. The mobile OS market-beating Apple iOS as the second widely used in India, as per DeviceAtlas’ latest Mobile Web Intelligence Report.

Google has already developed applications for KaiOS, but now it's investing $22 million into the company building it. Sebastien Codeville, CEO of KaiOS Technologies, said - “This funding will help us fast-track development and global deployment of KaiOS-enabled smart feature phones, allowing us to connect the vast population that still cannot access the internet, especially in emerging markets”.

Sebastien Codeville also said - “ We’re excited to work with Google to deliver its services on more mobile devices. Having an intelligent voice assistant on an affordable mobile phone is truly revolutionary as it helps overcome some of the limitations a keypad brings.”

Anjali Joshi, Vice-President, Product Management, Next Billion Users, said - “We want to ensure that Google apps and services are available to everyone, whether they are using desktops, smartphones, or feature phones. Following the success of the JioPhones, we are excited to work with KaiOS to further improve access to information for feature phone users around the world.”

Feature of KaiOS

• KaiOS will be working on integrating Google services like search, maps, YouTube and its voice assistant into more KaiOS devices, after initially announcing Google apps for KaiOS-powered Nokia phones earlier this year.

• KaiOS devices have an intelligent voice assistant that helps overcome some of the limitations a keypad.

• Once the Kai Store is live in your country, you will have access to a variety of apps, including social media, instant messaging, navigation, streaming entertainment, and games.

• It will also add apps for Twitter, WhatsApp, and Facebook.

• KaiOS is a web-based platform that uses open standards such as HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS.

• KaiOS-powered devices perform tasks previously only possible on big budget smartphones. Think of features like running a store for apps, video calls, watching live TV, and so on.

• KaiOS also provides new services, examples are FOTA (over the air updates of the phone), cloud services, and analytics around network stability and connectivity.

• KaiOS devices include essential functionalities like apps, GPS, 4G/LTE, and Wi-Fi.

• It offers 4G VoLTE network as a connectivity option to connect the vast population that still cannot access the internet, especially in emerging markets.

• Sadly says, KaiOS does not support Android apps. These apps need to be adapted to HTML5-based apps that can run on the KaiOS platform.

 

Besides all these technological innovations, the major factor is to revolutionize the mobile phone market with the affordability. It’s a big thing to pack a phone with the latest technology, but to do so at a fraction of the cost of a smartphone. This is the most important feat of KaiOS-powered phones that optimizing operating system for a low-memory feature phone. People benefit from affordable access to the internet and digital services. For example, the Jio Phone in India created competition in the mobile industry, driving overall phone prices down as companies vie for customers.