If you’re of a certain age, you’ll remember different types of systems and brands. BlackBerry had its own, and before Android came along, Symbian was the king of mobile devices. However, what happened to them? Do any of them still exist today?
One of my first phones was a Windows Phone, because yes, Microsoft also bet on these devices, although it didn’t succeed either, as we can see today, where finding a brand that isn’t Android or iPhone is difficult.
Although it is true that some of them, such as the Windows Phone we just mentioned, are no longer marketed on new devices, there are people who still use them, so they would fall within the market share, which is made up, apart from the two big ones, of the following:
- KaiOS: A Linux-based operating system used on feature phones. Although it doesn’t have a large market share, it’s popular in emerging markets, especially in Asia and Africa, for its lightweight and affordable design.
- HarmonyOS (Huawei): Created by Huawei as an alternative to Android due to US sanctions. It’s gaining some ground, mainly in China, but its presence outside that country remains small.
- Ubuntu Touch: A mobile version of Ubuntu, focused on privacy and free software. While not mainstream, it has a following in specific niches, especially in cybersecurity and among people who like to experiment, even beyond Android.
- Sailfish OS (Jolla): Also based on Linux, this system focuses on privacy and customization. Like Ubuntu Touch, it has a small market share and is aimed at users looking for something different than Android or iOS. Remember, Android is simply Linux, so these would be variants of something we already know.
- Windows Phone (Microsoft): Although it is no longer developed or supported, Windows Phone, as we explained, was a competitor that failed to attract enough users, and its market share has almost completely disappeared, focusing more on computers, which is what they know how to do.
Although it may seem like there are more than you thought, this share doesn’t even reach 1%, so they are residual, and unless KaiOS or Huawei can grow a little, we won’t really see a real competitor to the two main and current ones.
And you, what phones have you owned that don’t have Android or iOS? The truth is, they haven’t been popular for years, so, like me, if you’ve used them, you’ll be a bit older. These two market leaders have already been there for a long time, and dethroning them seems like it’s going to be quite difficult, or at least in the coming years. Leave us a comment about your experience with them, and if you’d like to see a new competitor emerge, try to put pressure on everyone to eventually improve due to competition. It could be interesting.
