back to article Google leaps on the platform formerly known as Firefox with $22m splurge for KaiOS

The Linux formerly known as Firefox OS has become the fastest-growing phone platform in 2018, and is expected to be in around 100 million devices by the end of the year. Now KaiOS has received a huge boost from Google. Google has made a $22m Series A investment in the company that develops the platform, San Diego-based KaiOS …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Please keep it open

    All I'm asking for is that apps on this phone speak Open Standards and don't send data home without permission. If so, I'll buy one as soon as I find out where they're sold..

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Please keep it open

      me too, plus sync with calendar/contacts/email and the ability to use AUTH apps (like google authenticator)

    2. yossarianuk

      Re: Please keep it open

      Soon you can get Purism..

      https://puri.sm/shop/librem-5/

    3. N2

      Re: Please keep it open

      ...and don't send data home without permission.

      Agreed, but don't you have to agree that everything belongs to Google?

      1. Zakhar

        Re: Please keep it open

        Indeed. They say they are open source but read on their site: "code will be available soon"...

        Plus since Google made a generous donation to be sure they will include all their tools by default, that does not look good if you value privacy.

        But you know: "there is no free meal", someone has to pay for those 22M$!

  2. Craig 2

    How spoiled and lazy we've become

    "just 256MB of RAM" :)

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: How spoiled and lazy we've become

      I was going to comment the exact same thing.

    2. Richocet

      Re: How spoiled and lazy we've become

      That what is needed to hold the encryption keys these days :-)

  3. wolfetone Silver badge

    Here was me considering buying the Nokia with KaliOS on it to be free from Google, now they do this.

    1. Headley_Grange Silver badge

      @Wolfetone - me too, but now I don't think I'll bother. Why do they have to fuck everything up.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        re: why do they have to ... everything up?

        This says it all for what's missing.

        Google will invest in KaiOS Inc to ensure search, YouTube and Maps come to KaiOS devices.

        What's missing? Slurping everything the user does that's what.

        Another class of devices I won't touch because of Google.

        I agree, why do they have to fuck everything up for US!

        PErhaps they are getting scared of the growing Amazon domination of the world and don't want to become a bit player?

    2. IceC0ld

      Here was me considering buying the Nokia with KaliOS on it to be free from Google, now they do this.

      ------------------

      maybe your settings weren't as private as you hoped, and Google KNEW about your wishes :P :)

      also, I am old enough to recall when the comics went mental at a game NEEDING 128MB of RAM, asking "who will pay out for that much RAM, for a game ............."

      the world turns, and we get more screwed up

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The Most Dreaded Words in IT

    "We're from Google, and we're here to help."

    1. yossarianuk

      Re: The Most Dreaded Words in IT

      2nd actually.

      The most dreaded is

      "Our company have now partnered with Microsoft'

      Usually this means no company within a few years

      1. hplasm
        Meh

        Re: The Most Dreaded Words in IT

        £d or lower-

        "something...something Azure..something 365..."

        Ew.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: The Most Dreaded Words in IT

          Hi, my name is Mark and I think we can connect the world...

          1. Cpt Blue Bear

            Re: The Most Dreaded Words in IT

            In reaction to all of the above I will simply quote Joseph Goebells via Mission to Burma and Moby: "That's when I reach for my revolver".

          2. OrliePaulie

            Re: The Most Dreaded Words in IT

            I'll raise you:

            "Hello, I'm Donald Trump..."

  5. xperroni
    Meh

    "... fastest-growing phone platform..."

    Every time I hear something is the "fastest-growing" of its kind, I remember a friend back from undergraduate days commenting on his latest test results. "I managed to improve my grade 100%", he said: "from 1 to 2".

    Numbers: if tortured enough, they'll confess anything you want to hear.

    1. My other car WAS an IAV Stryker

      Re: "... fastest-growing phone platform..."

      I am thinking a similar thing: fastest-growing by being JUST ahead of whomever is #2, no matter how small that margin is.

      Which is like the adage everyone knows: Don't outrun the bear, just outrun your competition.

  6. This post has been deleted by its author

    1. TonyJ

      Re: More money equals more good

      "...My (horribly expensive) contract with Three runs out soon - I'm genuinely considering the HMD/Nokia 8110 as an option now if I can find a decent sim-only contract that allows unlimited tethering. Having extra apps for services that my family use in the near future would cement this as an option - even if it means ceding a bit of privacy (because whatscrapp exists, and the phone comes bundled with farcebook).

      Pair it with a chromebook/light laptop and I'm still spending less money over the length of a contract than I did with my current phone, and the functionality is at least the same, with the benefit of fewer things calling home, and the prospect of being able to do a lot more much more easily..."

      Well...I hate to say it but 3 do a 30 day rolling contract on SIM only that has unlimited data for £35 a month that allows tethering.

      I have on for my eldest lads' phone - he's done as much as 50GB tethered to his PlayBox and they never bat an eyelid.

      I don't know (but would be happy to be corrected) of any other in that ballpark.

      1. bengoey49

        Re: More money equals more good

        On Black Friday last November I got a 12 months £20 a month contract with Three which allows 100 GB a month data , out of the 100 GB you can use 30 GB for tethering. Hope they have the same offer next Black Friday.

    2. Andy Nugent

      Re: More money equals more good

      Not sure what you mean by horribly expensive, but I pay £20 / month to Three for unlimited data plus 20GB (might be 30GB, not 100% sure) tethering on a 1 month rolling contract. Been on it for a few years, so perhaps no longer offered, but might be worth raising with them.

      1. pɹɐʍoɔ snoɯʎuouɐ

        Re: More money equals more good

        my missus has unlimited texts 500min talk and 3gb data from three for ...... £4.19 a month...

        I got it down to this for many complaints about a shitty service that did not match up to the map of coverage they have....

        its not worth upgrading... we just buy a new phone now and again

      2. Richocet

        Re: More money equals more good

        Unlimited data + 20GB.

        How do you know when you have used up the unlimited data and and started consuming the 20GB?

        Reminds me of number theory... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinity_plus_one

        :-)

        1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge
          Facepalm

          Re: More money equals more good

          "Unlimited data + 20GB.

          How do you know when you have used up the unlimited data and and started consuming the 20GB?"

          Unlimited data consumed directly by the phone, 20 GB allowance through tethering. Yes, they can tell the difference.

  7. carolinahomes

    Makes perfect sense

    The entire world is moving toward Kaios (pronounced as chaos).

  8. iron Silver badge

    "KaiOS is unashamedly a feature phone platform"

    "Google will invest in KaiOS Inc to ensure search, YouTube and Maps come to KaiOS devices"

    "KaiOS is only just rolling out app stores for developers. Coders write in HTML5 and CSS."

    I don't think Google or KaiOS understand the meaning of the words "feature phone", a not very smart smartphone is not the same thing.

  9. x 7

    EEE

    Extend, Embrace, Extinguish

    Just like Microsoft

  10. Teiwaz

    The Google thing might not be a deal-breaker.

    If the phones only run HTML/CSS apps, surely Google are back to square one,

    It's only game over should they manage to get the platform to depend on the appstore and the autorun parasite binaries.

    But the Manufacturers and Networks are not blameless in overloading phones with unremovable features like Facebook and useless maps and crap of their own.

  11. Mr Dogshit
    Mushroom

    Great

    Nokia 8110 4G is due out on 4th July, I really, really want one, but I'm damned if I'm going to let Booble anywhere near me or my data.

    Bastards.

  12. fuzzybug

    Fuzzybug

    I'd love to see NFC payments on feature phones.

    Not everyone wants/needs/can afford a high-end phone but would like access to some of the benefits that smart phones offer.

    Surely there's a business-case for Google Pay in this space.

  13. RyokuMas
    Devil

    Obligatory...

    "Google will invest in KaiOS Inc to ensure search, YouTube and Maps come to they can track your every action on KaiOS devices.

    Although expect such tight coupling to be made between KaiOS and search, maps, pootube, etc that it rapidly becomes next to impossible to use such a device without them - like Android.

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Why does Google have to always ruin everything for everyone?

  15. steelpillow Silver badge
    Angel

    moabyl OS diveliper seaks werk

    Well, here I am a longtime web content author with HTML5 and CSS skills, well akkustomed to the spelchequer saving my lief. Now I are a furrily pade-up moabyl OS diveliper!

    Still, I expect we'll still need javascript for anything even remotely resembling a UI. Funny the article doesn't mention that.

  16. aberglas

    Vast amounts of JavaScript in 250meg?

    Any half decent HTML5 website will use at least 10 meg of source if packages are included. The next generation far more. Sure a small foot print could, in theory, run HTML5. But we need to write all that JavaScript because we can. Now, consider whole Apps written in HTML5.

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