New Smartphone OS: Finnish Firm Announces Platform Compatible With Android System, Apps And Widgets Supported

Android and iOS have undeniably taken over the smartphone OS realm, and not even Microsoft's Windows Phone OS comes close. Fortunately, there are startup companies who want to take part in the competition, even if it's a moonshot away. And one might just succeed in bringing the world a brand new smartphone OS. 

Jolla, a company based in Finland, seeks to regain the spotlight to its country after Nokia's struggling mobile and services department was bought by Microsoft. 

In a report by TechCrunch, the company said that its MeeGo-based platform, Sailfish OS can support the Android ecosystem, as well as run apps made for Google's platform. 

However, this does not mean that Sailfish OS will fully depend on Android in order to function properly. Reports said that the Jolla-developed OS has its own system, functions and features. Nevertheless, the support for Android and even the Play Store is a big leap that might bring some users to this newfound smartphone OS. 

In addition, Jolla also mentioned that its Sailfish OS is able "to run on common hardware produced for Android, particularly smartphones and tablets". 

The report also said Jolla's position and potential has greatly changed since Microsoft acquired the mobile devices and services department of its fellow Finnish manufacturer Nokia. It also appears that majority of the workforce working on the new Sailfish OS were ex-Nokia employees who worked with the company's N9, which featured the MeeGo platform. 

Jolla is already courting several OEMs in China to use their operating system in developing new smartphones. Once this project materializes, let us expect a new generation in smartphone platforms, which could make the competition a little more exciting.