HTC interested in buying own mobile operating system

HTC has confirmed that it is exploring options for acquiring its own mobile operating system, as the Taiwanese manufacturer attempts to differentiate itself in the increasingly crowded smartphone market.

Cher Wang, the chairman of HTC, said that the firm is looking at alternatives to the Google Android and Microsoft Windows Phone operating systems it currently uses, according to Economic Observer of China.

In the interview, picked up by Taiwan's Central News Agency, Wang said: "We have given it thought and we have discussed it internally, but we will not do it on impulse.

"We can use any OS we want. We are able to make things different from our rivals on the second or third layer of a platform. Our strength lies in understanding an OS, but it does not mean that we have to produce an OS."

HTC was among the first companies to partner with Google Android, debuting the G1 in the US in 2008, and has since benefitted from the platform's huge success.

Sales of Android-supported devices surpassed the iPhone during the first quarter of 2011, accounting for 36% of the market, compared with 18.8% for Apple. In the second quarter, Android's share of smartphone sales increased to 46%, while Apple came in second with 20%.

HTC customises the user interface on Android and the Windows Phone 7 platform with its Sense interface, but a self-produced OS would enable the firm to fully oversee the end-to-end experience, just like Apple does with iOS.

Possible targets for HTC could include WebOS, the operating system acquired by HP from Palm but recently put up for sale, along with the Intel-backed MeeGo.

More companies are now beginning to believe that producing both the handsets and operating system to run on them is the most profitable way forward.

Google recently acquired Motorola Mobility in a $12.5 billion (£7.7bn) deal that will put the search engine giant in direct competition with the handset manufacturers.

Meanwhile, an analyst has claimed that Apple will resist the urge to increase the screen size of the forthcoming fifth iteration of the iPhone to compete with the next generation of Android devices.