Cyanogen could become a third alternative to iOS and Android

Mar 28, 2015 15:02 GMT  ·  By

Today’s mobile market offers countless choices when it comes to selecting a handset model. Or is it just wishful thinking to believe that as consumers we are able to single out the best option suited to our characteristic needs? It is indeed a bit complicated to provide a solid answer to this question.

The mobile market is populated by countless smartphone manufacturers who are constantly trying to convince the masses that their products are the ones they should pick up by flashing before their eyes innovating designs and advanced software. But there’s a catch.

When it comes to the visual aspect, in the grand scheme of things, most notable device makers in the industry are selling smartphones with a square form factor.

Some smartphones that can be considered atypically looking (with round screens for example) have been selling on the market at times, but they didn’t prove capable of attracting many customers on board. So in order to make money, device makers continued the saga of the square handset.

The thing is, small details are essential and are responsible for the differentiation of products. As one starts to navigate the mobile ecosystem, it quickly becomes quite easy to differentiate between an iPhone and a Samsung Galaxy S flagship or a HTC One phone.

Some devices might arrive with chamfered edges, while others boast squarish extremities. Some might have patterned backs, while others are outfitted with a smooth back plate. It all depends on the manufacturer’s vision.

Are there so many choices, actually?

But what can be said about software? While smartphone buyers might be fooled into thinking that there’s a wide array of choices to pick from, a closer view at the market reveals a different type of scenario.

Apple’s iOS platform and Google’s Android combined hold the monopoly over the mobile ecosystem with a whopping 96%.

So, basically, the two companies are like players spreading their armies across a chess board with customers being asked to choose between the two.

Powerful players in the industry like Microsoft, BlackBerry, Samsung, Mozilla, Nokia, Intel or Palm have already tried offering their alternatives to the masses, but their efforts have failed to incite a great number of users.

However, a 6-year-old startup called Cyanogen thinks it can challenge the past and do what the big boys of the industry failed to do.

The company designs a mobile operating system that’s basically a bumped-up version of Android. The twist is that users are allowed to tweak their phones in different ways.

For example, Cyanogen’s own Boxer email app will let users decide the left and right swipe actions, notification sounds, different colors for accounts, LED notification modifications, and so on.

And there’s a hype building around Cyanogen. The startup has scored partnerships with several manufacturers, including OnePlus, Alcatel Touch One and Micromax in India.

One of the current phones running Cyanogen
One of the current phones running Cyanogen

However, if recent reports are to be believed, US manufacturer BLU is going to be the first phone maker to release a Cyanogen-powered handset that will come devoid of Google’s services.

That’s the thing - when licensing Android to device makers, Google always imposes its services to be pre-installed on the phones, a tactic that has been frowned upon by app and chip vendors.

In the last few months, Cyanogen managed to raise up to $80 million (€73,6 miilion) from important investors like Twitter, Qualcomm, carrier Telefonica and media guru Rupert Murdoch.

Microsoft itself also considered making an investment in the startup but decided to hold off for the time being.

Nonetheless, sources familiar with the matter have said we should be expecting to see Microsoft and Cyanogen agree on the terms and conditions of the partnership soon enough.

The deal might entail the incorporation of Microsoft’s services on upcoming Cyanogen OS devices, including Skype, Outlook and OneDrive.

So with all this growing interest in Cyanogen, could it be possible that the startup has a real chance of becoming a true Android alternative?

Can Cyanogen take on Google?

It might. Just imagine a phone equipped with Amazon’s app store, the Opera Web browser, Nokia HERE Maps, Dropbox, Microsoft’s OneDrive, Spotify, Bing for search, and Cortana. It sounds like an interesting combination to say the least.

All in all, Cyanogen might prove to be a successful OS even without putting a big toll on Google. Back at MWC 2015, Google’s Sundar Pichai, who oversees Android, said that he didn’t see what Cyanogen’s selling point was. He also went on to explain that Google’s services were very popular and questioned the viability of the phones that don’t include them.

All in all, there are a lot of consumers out there who care about having Google Play on board mostly to be granted access to the huge database of Android apps.

But Cyanogen is also working towards an alternate solution. Even so, it might take a while before the same richness of choice is attained (having the helping hand of the Amazon App Store might help with that).

I’m sure there are a lot of customization enthusiasts out there, and for the Cyanogen initiative, this is truly important.

Now, it remains to be seen if Cyanogen is able to attract a sufficient number of new followers onboard so that Google feels threatened.

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Cyanogen's new logo
One of the current phones running Cyanogen
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