China Unicom to launch mobile operating system

The parent company of China Unicom (CHU.NYSE, 600050.SH, 0762.HK) is launching a new mobile phone brand called “Wophone” which will use its own operating system, the Wall Street Journal reported. The move puts China Unicom in competition with Apple’s (AAPL.NASDAQ) iPhone and devices using Google’s (GOOG.NASDAQ, GGQ1.FWB) Android operating system. Companies that will offer Wophone devices include China’s ZTE Corp (0763.HK, 000063.SZ), Huawei Technologies and TCL Corp (000100.SZ), as well as South Korea’s Samsung Electronics (SMSN.LSE, SMSD.LSE, 005930.KRX, 005935.KRX), Motorola Mobility Holdings (MMI.NYSE) of the US and Taiwan’s HTC Corp (2498.TW). China Unicom is currently competing against China Mobile (CHL.NYSE, 0941.HK) and China Telecom (CHA.NYSE, 0728.HK) to attract more third-generation mobile services users, which generate more revenue and quicker data speeds than second-generation services.