New smartphone OS to rival Google's Android

A new smartphone operating system to rival Google's Android and Apple's iOS is set for launch in the next few months.

Japanese mobile phone operator NTT Docomo said that the new OS is developed by a global collaboration of tech firms from Japan, China, South Korea, Europe and the United States.

According to news24, the system, an open source called Tizen based on Linux, is expected to be installed on phones that will be sold from the end of March.

NTT Docomo spokesperson Jun Otori said unlike Android and iOS, Tizen allows them to develop freely whatever they envision because it is an open-source operating system.

Otori added that with Tizen, NTT Docomo hoped to revitalise Japanese-developed services and create new services more freely.