MediaTek, KaiOS Technologies collaborate to deliver 3G4G smart feature phones

Highlights: MediaTek, KaiOS Technologies partner to offer affordable 3G/4G smart feature phones. MediaTek’s MT6572 (3G) and MT6731 (3G) mobile platform will now support KaiOS. The phones with KaiOS with either of the two SoCs may launch in Q2 2019. MediaTek and KaiOS Technologies have partnered and announced to integrate KaiOS with a series of MediaTek chipsets to power future 3G and 4G devices. MediaTek’s 3G mobile platform MT6572 and MT6731 a newly-announced platform that can support dual-4G SIM cards in phones, will support KaiOS mobile operating system. The first KaiOS-powered 3G/4G smart feature phones with either of the two SoCs are expected to be launched in the second quarter of 2019. “With KaiOS’ support for MediaTek entry-segment 3G/4G chipsets, we can deliver more affordable and reliable devices, longer battery life and improve the overall user experience when compared with the old-school 2G/3G feature phones. KaiOS is putting digital services in the hands of populations that need them the most which aligns with MediaTek’s mission to make great technology accessible to everyone,” TL Lee, General Manager of MediaTek’s Wireless Business Unit, said in a statement. The chipmaker claims that its newest MT6731 platform is optimised by bringing technologies like quad-core 64-bit processing and dual 4G SIM technology to the entry-segment mobile phone market. KaiOS Technologies CEO Sebastien Codeville says that due to comapny’s work with MediaTek, It will be able to connect more people in important markets where MediaTek has a strong presence, such as India, and Africa. “Through collaborative efforts like this, we can finally offer a broad range of affordable devices capable of supporting advanced applications and functionality in these markets,” Codeville added. KaiOS has been shipped on more than 80 million devices in over 100 countries. In June last year, Google had announced $22 million Series A investment into KaiOS Technologies Inc. Reliance’s JioPhone run on KaiOS and was the top feature phone as well as a leader in overall handset Indian market in 2018, according to Counterpoint Research. KaiOS, which originated from the Firefox OS open-source project started in 2011 and has continued independently from Mozilla since 2016, was first launched publicly in the US market in 2017. The mobile operating system supports 4G/LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS and is compatible with chipsets from major manufacturers, now including MediaTek. The company has incorporated Indian languages, enabling digital payments and media delivery to the masses in the country. Related Read: Smart feature phones to create $28bn revenue opportunity in next three years: Counterpoint

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