HTC is developing a mobile operating system specifically for the Chinese market, reports The Wall Street Journal. The operating system is expected to have deep ties to web services and apps that are popular in China, such as Weibo. HTC is undertaking the effort, according to the Journal, to improve its market position in China. HTC began selling devices under its own brand name in China only as recently as 2010. The move is meant to help HTC improve its ties with the Chinese government and Chinese businesses as much as it is to sell more handsets to Chinese consumers. It is not clear whether the OS is something HTC built entirely from scratch or if it is based on an existing platform, such as Android or BrewMP. Prototypes of the OS are already being tested. The OS, which has been under development for about two years, is expected to launch by the end of the year. HTC did not comment on the Journal's article. HTC is not alone in developing its own operating system. Samsung, for example, worked on both Bada and Tizen.


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