Alibaba’s YunOS is World’s Third-largest Smartphone OS with 70 million users

YunOS which is also called as Aliyun OS is Linux Distribution for smartphones based on the Android Open Source Project. This operating system is developed by AliCloud, which is a subsidiary of Chinese company Alibaba Group. After 5 years of its release, the company is now challenging the dominant Android in China. The OS revolves around the idea of bringing cloud functionality to mobile devices. YunOS features cloud-based e-mail, Web search, weather updates, and GPS navigation tools.

Now the company says, this mobile operating system, reached 70 million smartphone users by the end of May. This is a huge number considering its popularity outside China. According to reports, it overtook Apple’s iOS in smartphone shipments in China during the first quarter. Apparently, the YunOS grew 700 percent in the year 2015 and went to on to become the third biggest operating system after Android and iOS.

The company is further aiming grow these numbers further. They aim to expand the number of mobile phones running on YunOS from 70 million at the end of May to 100 million by the end of 2016. This would allow the company to reach a market share of 20 to 25 percent in China, which is the world’s largest smartphone market. YunOS is currently powering a variety of different smartphones from many brands. Over 17 million YunOS-powered smartphones from a number of smaller domestic brands like Meizu and Duowei, were shipped in China between January and March.

Also note that Alibaba invested over $590 million to acquire a stake in Chinese smartphone maker Meizu, in order to grow YunOS’s user base. Besides smartphones, Alibaba’s YunOS can also be used in the smart set-top box, Internet TV, smart home, a smart vehicle equipment, wearable and other smart terminals. The company is also planning to launch an internet-connected smart car early next month.

With all these diverse projects and plans for the future, it will be interesting to see where the company will head in coming months and years with its mobile operating system. Stay tuned for info on this in future.

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