www.bgr.in

Micromax is one of the popular brands in the feature phone segment, and it is natural for the company to explore partnership with a company that develops a more intelligent operating system. Micromax says its new feature phone powered by KaiOS will accelerate the next phase of mobile phone adoption with seamless user experience. The key features coming to Micromax’s feature phones with KaiOS integration is native third-party apps that will allow instant messages, video calls and intelligent voice assistants.

“Mobile devices are increasingly becoming our constant companions, and the advanced experience and host of mobile services are driving that trend. KaiOS combines the powerful capabilities of a smartphone with the affordability of a basic handset, and we are extremely proud to announce this partnership that will help us empower users in emerging markets with the best technology,” said Vikas Jain, Co-Founder, Micromax.

Micromax, once seen as the leader in India’s mobile market, has been pushed to oblivion by Chinese smartphone makers with their better products and aggressive pricing. However, the company has been trying to tap into the first time smartphone buyers and those upgrading from feature phones with its Bharat series.

Micromax plans to start selling mobile devices powered by KaiOS in Sri Lanka and Middle East. KaiOS is a mobile operating system developed by KaiOS Technologies, and its real shot to fame is the Reliance JioPhone.

Homegrown mobile manufacturer Micromax says this partnership will target millions of feature phone users, and offer unique native experiences with more efficient access to third-party apps. KaiOS has a userbase of more than 6 million thanks to the sale of JioPhone in India, and the operating system turns any feature phone into smart feature phone with support for apps. The ecosystem recently gained support for Facebook app, and is currently available on the JioPhone.

Micromax is also planning to launch Android Oreo (Go edition) smartphone named Bharat Go sometime next month. The smartphone running Android Go edition will be aimed at first time smartphone buyers. KaiOS Technologies has also partnered with Spreadtrum group to integrate with newest chipsets and offer new functionality on a budget device.