Russia might be working on its own mobile operating system in a bid to shut Apple and Google out of the nation.
The Russian government hasn’t been quiet about its distaste for both companies’ domination of the mobile market, and it now seems to be taking action.
According to RBC, Russia’s Communications Minister Nikolai Nikiforov is talking to Finnish firm Jolla about developing an ‘independent’ OS.
The operating system would be built for smartphones, and would be based on Jolla’s existing Sailfish OS.
According to the Minister, successful negotiations could lead to Russia’s prospective OS seizing the country’s mobile market within the next decade.
Nikiforov previously spoke out on Twitter, condemning Google for its alleged ‘monopoly’ on Russia’s mobile sector.
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The new OS will reportedly be in a joint partnership with Finland and China, with Brazil, India, and South Africa tipped to be participating too.
There’s no name for the Russian mobile OS just yet, but it’s expected to be an entirely different product from Sailfish, and thus won’t carry the branding.
What do you think Russia should call its operating system? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
