Having redefined the way we connect and upskill our users to the digital world, we share this timeline infographic that marks some of our key highlights from the past year and what we’re looking forward to in 2022. 

January 2021 — The very first official announcement of the year is with Wikipedia, with its app released on the KaiStore, equalizing and extending access to essential knowledge to new internet users in developing markets for the first time. It is a significant achievement as it unlocks the largest collection of human knowledge to millions of people. CONTINUE READING 

February 2021 — With hundreds of millions of people impacted by the digital divide, it is crucial for isolated communities to gain internet access to life-enhancing digital resources. This time, with rural Africa.  

KaiOS partnered with Justdiggit to create a regreen app on KaiStore, and provided devices with monthly data to farmers in rural Tanzania. These farmers received training using the devices with the regreen app and access to features like internet browsing and apps. This project addressed critical ICT challenges – bringing affordable internet access to rural areas and providing digital skills training to new internet users. More importantly, it demonstrated to the farmers the need for such phones and apps, and they were willing to pay for and continue using mobile internet. CONTINUE READING 

March 2021 — We see increasing KaiStore visits as our ecosystem and developers are gaining recognition from our users. The KaiStore team is keeping up the momentum with a new set of updates that make it easier to find apps and enhance the UX experience as a whole. For example, the You May Also Like feature is a popular one as it gives suggestions to users with more great content related to their recent searches. CONTINUE READING 

April 2021 — While it’s important to continue expanding mobile broadband coverage, the primary challenge (and focus) is to reduce the usage gap. To address the affordability issue that hinders mobile internet adoption, KaiOS initiated a device financing program in Pakistan in partnership with Jazz, Swift Biz Solutions, Finja Lending Services Limited, and Pakistan Telecom Authority. With this new initiative, a user would only have to pay an upfront cost close to a 2G phone and a small monthly repayment for an internet device and data. This model can drive down the cost of 4G device and data and can be replicated at scale in other parts of the world to accelerate digital inclusion.  

May 2021 — The Life app by KaiOS is among the top 5 apps on the KaiStore, and it is particularly popular in African markets. This year, we released the second version of our Life app, incorporating feedback from our users and adding new features such as daily content updates, in-app web browsing, saving and searching posts, etc. We’re proud to see the Life app is changing lives for the better with its engaging and reliable content provided by our trusted NGOs and content partners.  CONTINUE READING 

June 2021 — Looking for more than just text messaging, voice messaging, and media sharing now? We hear you. This year, we brought WhatsApp VoIP – a simple and cost-effective way to communicate through voice call over the internet. It became the first data voice call that was made available for KaiOS users, an essential feature in times like now with substantial mobility restriction. Not only does it enhances the overall KaiOS user experience, it also makes KaiOS an even more sustainable solution for carriers. CONTINUE READING 

July 2021 — We welcomed the 1000th app to our KaiStore! We’re delighted to have grown the collection of apps to over 1000, thanks to the recognition from the developer community and our users. Lots of innovation and valuable content rolling out, with social continues to be the most sought-after category, followed by games and utilities. Stay tuned and see what exciting apps we will bring in 2022. 

August 2021 — Let’s reimagine the KaiOS experience with KaiOS 3.0, a significant and complete software update since the 2.5 version which packs the latest Mozilla Gecko engine (version 84) and comes with the latest chipset Board Support Package & Linux kernel. In this upgrade we added a number of new features, delivering a more streamlined user experience with enhanced security and stability. Be sure to keep an eye out on our next device with 3.0 in 2022! CONTINUE READING 

*Note: KaiOS 3.0 is only available on select KaiOS devices in the US as of today. 

September 2021 — Improving digital access to, and the use of financial transactions is always a key priority in KaiOS.  

China is no doubt the world leader in digital payment. To meet the local users’ needs for a diversified mobile payment experience, we’re thrilled to partner with Alipay to release the app in the KaiOS-run Nokia phones in China. Users can now scan & pay, go online shopping, make P2P transfers, and many more in Nokia 6300 and 8000. CONTINUE READING 

October 2021 — We‘ve come a long way since our first device is launched five years ago. It is with great pride we announced that we’ve reached over 160 million users, with more than 190 models shipped globally, despite the challenges in the recent two years with lockdowns, chip shortage, etc,. From no online experience to regular data usage, we unleash the world’s untapped markets with affordable access to mobile internet. CONTINUE READING 

November 2021 — KaiOS was presented with the Red Dot Award 2021 in the Interface and User Experience category for its design excellence – an interface design that is optimized, intuitive, easy-to-use for first-time internet users. 

Unlike other advanced or sophisticated OS designs for touch devices, the KaiOS UX team’s design vision is not solely focused on aesthetics. The priority is to ensure the UI runs seamlessly on a low-spec device and can be easily adapted by digitally illiterate users while keeping a good look. CONTINUE READING 

December 2021 — Before we conclude the year, we make sure we keep our focus all year long and are on the right track to be an ultimate platform that enables digital identity and financial inclusion.  

With over a billion people unbanked worldwide, there is an enormous need to reach these individuals on affordable internet phones and offer them reliable financial services through safe and easy-to-use payment apps. That’s why we added JazzCash to bring instant mobile payment and top-up services to our users, and help them become digitally and financially included. CONTINUE READING 

Our path as an enabler in the new normal  

As expected, the growth was still not like how we achieved in the pre-COVID times, but these numbers and new partnerships are going up and in the right direction in this second year of the pandemic. The post-COVID world is destined to have a complete shake-up in keeping the entire world functioning, both digitally and financially. Now it’s the time to work together to:  

Narrow the usage gap  

43% of the world’s population do not use mobile internet despite living in areas with mobile broadband coverage. $450B will be invested to reduce this gap over the next eight years from banks and institutions worldwide 

Ramp up digital financial services  

The positive shifts toward digital payment in many economies but also demonstrates the unequal access to these services among the excluded groups 

Reform digital skills education and engagement strategy to empower first-time internet users  

Devices and content are the foundation. The critical next step is to understand new users’ challenges and help them get the most out of our products 

The challenges, of course, remain enormous in the face of the pandemic. While the ongoing global chip shortage has a tremendous impact on the smart feature phone shipment, we have been able to source alternative affordable chips to maintain the production and channel our resources towards dual-inclusion (digital and financial inclusion) by:  

• making smart feature phones even more affordable with subsides from partners and consumer financing solutions 
• expanding to financial inclusion as part of the connectivity journey, starting with digital wallet onboarding on KaiOS 
• providing suitable fintech services like mobile money, bank/neo-bank, to improve access to financing that ultimately accumulates wealth and knowledge  
• growing the ecosystem to include the most relevant and popular services available on affordable devices  

Let’s work towards inclusive, affordable connectivity for all. 

Want to play a role in digital connectivity? Talk with us: https://www.kaiostech.com/partner-with-us/our-team/

The post KaiOS 2021 year-in-reviewDespite the highs and lows, here’s the progress made for the next billion in 2021 appeared first on KaiOS.

Presented with this prestigious award is a truly encouraging achievement of the company, as it signified recognition from one of the most internationally acclaimed design competitions. The KaiOS award-winning entry is a custom-built, innovative mobile interface design responding to the needs of the next billion to encourage mobile internet adoption. Half of the world’s population is not connected to the internet, and device affordability is a critical blocker. That’s where KaiOS comes in – powering affordable, easy-to-use devices with little memory while bringing the best of smartphones with valuable digital resources.

An affirmation for outstanding user experience design to onboard new internet users 

Just as exciting as winning the award is the affirmation of the team’s design approaches and capabilities to creating a user experience that has these new internet adopters in mind. Unlike other advanced or sophisticated OS designs for touch devices, the KaiOS UX team’s design vision is not solely focused on aesthetics. Ensuring the UI runs seamlessly and smoothly on a low-spec device and can be easily adapted by digitally illiterate users is a key priority while making no compromises on the good looks. The team has to go back to the basics – reimagine the barriers that new internet users may face and redesign what works for them.

The Red Dot Award recognizes good design, but it is a joint effort across all teams during the product development process to make a product functional, viable and nice-looking. It demonstrates the strong teamwork that makes the connectivity journey for the next billion easy – from discovery to actual interactions. 

Stage 1 – An operating system with intuitive UI 

The UX team takes a minimalist design approach that helps users navigate intuitively and interact with apps successfully, even on a non-touch display with 2.4 inches. This is particularly essential for users who have never own a mobile phone or are digitally illiterate. 

They are introduced to phone navigation using hardware keys in the first mobile experience, and then progressively taught how to use features such as voice input etc.

The use of physical keys is also optimized in apps such as Browser to make up for the hardware limitations.

Flexibility can be seen throughout the interface design, even in the apps menu, where three designs are provided. From the simplest single view to the more advanced list view or grid view, users can decide what works best for them.

Stage 2 – Onboarding tools and features 

The thoughtfully designed home screen is enhanced with a carousel design which provides direct access to apps that can be selected simply by pressing the keypad. This streamlined experience makes it easier for users to find the apps they use most frequently.  

Cards design on the home screen is another useful feature. It provides step-by-step guides to users on how to connect to the internet with contextual information that can effectively assist users in discovering what the internet has to offer. 

Get Connected UI is created as a friendly prompt to remind users when an internet connection is needed. It motivates them to engage with digital content regularly to help them develop the habit of making the best use of the internet.  

Stage 3 – Useful content in KaiStore 

Having an interface and onboarding tools that allow the user to browse, navigate, and search effectively and efficiently, now it’s about providing useful and relevant content. KaiStore, a store of apps with a wide variety of app titles, is now possible on feature phones. There are the world’s most popular apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook, YouTube, Google Maps, etc., and also locally relevant content including some in-house apps such as KaiLife, with a directory of curated content in categories, from agriculture, digital skills, financial inclusion, to the most up-to-date health topics such as COVID-19. 

Not only focused on developing in-house apps, the UX team continues fine-tuning the KaiStore experience that ultimately improves usability. For example, making it easier to find good content with related apps in search, or creating loading animations to make them visually intrigued while waiting for an app to load. 

Publication of the award-winning products

There are many more to it. Be sure to head over to The Red Dot online exhibition and learn more about our winning project. 

Exhibition duration: 13 November 2021 – 9 January 2022

Want to meet the masterminds who build this intuitive ecosystem? Check out our design journey and explore with us the UX design for the next billion → Design at Kai Medium. 

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The Life app by KaiOS has made quite an impact in its first year. Released in February 2019 in select African countries, Life is now among the top five most downloaded apps in Nigeria and Uganda, and ranks 14th in Rwanda*. Users in these countries can access a directory of free resources curated for first-time internet users to improve everything from their digital literacy to their health.

Let’s look in more detail at how this initiative is impacting the lives of KaiOS users around the world.

*Data throughout the article gathered through KaiOS internal research department by surveying and interviewing KaiOS users in various countries.

Impacting even more lives with Life

Not only is the Life app now available worldwide, but we’ve also worked to provide content in various languages and included audio content to accommodate low levels of literacy.

The app can be downloaded from the KaiStore for free onto any KaiOS device. Soon, Life will come preloaded on certain devices, like the Digit 4G device by Jazz in Pakistan.

Most content is available in English, but certain materials have been translated into various languages, including Swahili, Arabic, French, Spanish, Urdu, and even several regional African languages, like Kinyardwanda.

To support users with limited literacy, we worked with Audiopedia to provide nearly 30 lessons in audio form. Short audio snippets educate users about nutrition, sexual health, family planning, substance abuse, safety at work, etc.

We’ve also partnered with Viamo to make legal aid, health, financial education, and agricultural information available in audio form. Users in Rwanda can listen to information in their local language, Kinyarwanda, about their legal rights and learn about their legal options.

Increasing digital literacy with Digital Skills content

As many KaiOS users are first-time internet users, it’s crucial to help them improve their digital literacy. Through the Life app’s Digital Skills content, newly connected consumers can learn how to manage their online privacy, conserve data, use social media, and access resources online.

Life’s Digital Skills content was developed in collaboration with GSMA’s Mobile Internet Skills Training Toolkit (MISTT), a resource for mobile operators who want to train their retail sales staff on how to introduce mobile internet to first-time users.

Accordingly, the Digital Skills section of Life focuses on the basics of getting online. Through easy-to-follow tutorials, users can learn how to use important tools, such as Google Maps, WhatsApp, and YouTube on their smart feature phones.

Modules are designed not only to educate consumers about how to use certain apps but also why. For example, consumers will learn how to save on SMS and voice call fees by using WhatsApp for communication.

Other Digital Skills modules connect users with trustworthy news sources and educate consumers about internet scams. For the newly connected, these materials are invaluable. In just a few clicks, they can learn how to protect their privacy and identify suspicious news or messages.

Helping families with books and educational content

Thanks to our partnership with Worldreader, we can offer thousands of free books through the Life app. Additional educational resources also improve literacy rates in underserved communities by providing free self-guided lessons.

In emerging areas, books may not be widely available. The Life app library provides free educational entertainment and brings families together. Many surveyed users shared that they use the Life app to read books to their children.

“[In the education section] they give quite a variety of information…It’s all free information, you don’t have to pay for it. That’s the most amazing thing” – Ugandan mother and Life app user

Improving literacy rates is a key step in helping communities thrive. According to Worldreader, “illiterate people earn on average 35% less than their literate counterparts.” Several studies also show that affordable technology in early education prepares children for future career opportunities. Free literacy-building resources on low-priced KaiOS devices make self-guided lessons accessible, which, in turn, supports local consumers.

Providing free health information

The app’s Health section provides a wide variety of resources that allow users to manage their personal health through expert medical information.

Sexual and reproductive health

Life’s Health section assists women in managing their sexual and reproductive health by providing links to resources such as period-tracking apps and expert medical advice.

Pregnant women can access neonatal tips for caring for their unborn child as well as their own bodies during pregnancy. Once they give birth, they can turn to the app for advice on keeping their infant healthy.

Our partnership with Girl Effect brings their Springster content into the Life app.

“Springster is our mobile-first safe space that digitally connects marginalized and vulnerable girls in over 50 countries to online content designed to equip them with the knowledge, confidence and connections they need to navigate the complex choices of adolescence.” – Girl Effect

This content guides young women through puberty by answering questions that developing girls may be too embarrassed to ask their parents or teachers.

“I used to be so shy and never wanted to ask about my body and why things were happening during puberty, but then I read Springster and it feels like I have a friend, a big sister and I’m not facing this all alone.” — Girl Effect user

Nutritional information

After surveying Life users, we found that people wanted to know more about the food they consume. Over the past year, we’ve added several additional nutritional resources to the app.

• Explanations of how certain types of food affect the body
• Food dictionary with photos and nutritional information for local produce
• Nutritional videos that discuss the importance of eating well, provided by MT2

Empowering women with education and autonomy

By educating users about gender equality, the Life app strives for women empowerment around the world. Not only do we provide content that aids women in gaining body and financial autonomy, but we also connect users to female-centric programs.

Resources provided by CARE allow women to take control of their finances with free financial education materials. The Gender Equality section also contains materials that encourage female entrepreneurship.

We worked with Girl Effect to bring in My Life My Rights — a collection of resources to help women understand their personal rights, identify potential domestic abuse, and get emotional support from qualified counselors.

Helping rural farmers manage their agricultural business

Through a combination of localized farming information from iCow, Wikipedia, and local sources as well as farmer-to-farmer conversations, the Agriculture section of the Life app helps small farmers improve their businesses.

Wefarm provides useful farming tips, crop management advice, local weather forecasts, and a wide variety of agricultural resources. It also facilitates farmer-to-farmer conversations through free SMS messaging, allowing farmers to share advice.

Thanks to our partnership with iCow, farmers have free access to courses that cover agricultural business topics such as rainwater harvesting, natural pest control, livestock welfare, and many others.

Join us in changing lives for the better

We believe in enabling communities around the world by making mobile internet and trusted, life-changing resources accessible to all. We’re proud of how the Life app is serving that mission.

If you’d like to help us provide life-changing resources to users around the world, please fill out this form to suggest content and we’ll be in touch shortly.

The post How the Life app is changing lives around the world appeared first on KaiOS.

Low-income individuals are more susceptible to contracting and spreading the COVID-19 virus. They’re also the most impacted by lockdowns.

That’s why, together with our partners, we are championing initiatives that help KaiOS users, most of who are low-income and live in developing countries, cope with the challenges of the pandemic.

We’re supporting our developers in creating solutions and working with carriers to promote them to the largest number of users.

COVID-19 Awareness and Prevention

Through the apps below, KaiOS users have access to reliable and practical info about the coronavirus disease and prevention measures.

Be Safe

Be Safe provides users with essential information about the coronavirus disease and how to stay safe. All the content comes from the World Health Organization (WHO) website and is available in English, French, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Urdu, Arabic, Swahili, and Russian.

We’re working hard to get this life-saving information in front of as many people as possible through push notifications and texts (sent by carriers) promoting the Be Safe app. Since its release on KaiStore on March 23, Be Safe has become the second most downloaded app of the month.

COVID-19 Stats

COVID-19 Stats tracks the number of reported cases, deaths, and active cases around the world and per country. It also features a “top 20” list of countries and their confirmed cases, deaths, and recovered cases. It’s available in English and in French.

Life

The app that equips first-time internet users with tools and resources in digital skills, health, education, and other essential topics now includes coronavirus-related info from UNICEF and the WHO. It also gives users access to the WHO’s WhatsApp chatbot, which answers questions in real-time.

To ensure this essential information reaches the largest number of KaiOS users, we’re running ad campaigns for Life in other KaiOS apps, including games.

The world’s first 4G phone with a thermometer

In response to COVID-19 and the global demand for on-the-go temperature monitoring, hardware manufacturer FISE created a smart feature phone with a built-in infrared thermometer. Checking someone’s temperature using the device is simple: all it takes is holding it near the person’s forehead. The new phone, which runs on KaiOS, is now available to carriers and OEM partners for order and release to global markets.

COVID-19 Coping

With 1.5 billion kids out of school and unemployment rates high, resources for online learning are more important than ever. We’ve partnered with several organizations to provide both children and adults free access to educational content via smart feature phones.

Roducate

Virtual learning is becoming increasingly important in most developed countries – not just as a result of the lockdown, but also because it can supplement traditional classes. Now, children in Nigeria can also take advantage of online education thanks to a project that distributes a total of 300,000 free KaiOS devices, equipped with learning app Roducate and an activated MTN data SIM card, around the country.

Through Roducate, students can take classes, complete assignments, and prepare for national exams offline on their KaiOS-enabled devices.

The project is a result of a partnership between KaiOS; Nigerian research & development company Robert and John Ltd; the Lagos State Government; and the First Bank of Nigeria. The latter sponsored the first batch of 20,000 KaiOS-enabled devices.

Robert and John is currently seeking funding from state governments and private institutions to make Roducate available for more schoolchildren in Africa.

Worldreader

Thanks to Worldreader, kids and adults everywhere can access a digital library of high-quality, culturally relevant books, including titles across different languages.

Users can access the library from any KaiOS-enabled phone, choose from over 10,000 titles, and save them for offline reading.

In light of the current crisis, Worldreader has made a number of resources available to parents, caregivers, and teachers, including a collection of stories curated for children from birth through primary grades. 

Worldreader is just one of the reading apps for KaiOS – to explore all of them, visit the KaiStore and choose the Book/Reference category.

Cell-Ed’s 1 Million Learner Challenge

In partnership with KaiOS, mobile-first learning company Cell-Ed has launched the 1 Million Learner Challenge, which aims to reach, teach, and support one million adult learners.

Through Cell-Ed, low-income adults will gain free access to the platform’s skill-building programs, including reading, math, and work readiness courses, which they can take on their smart feature phones. 

In times of crisis, it’s even more important that everyone gets connected. For more information, read the articles “Covid-19 shows why internet access is a basic right. We must get everyone connected” and “Meaningful Connectivity – Unlocking the Full Power of Internet Access” from our partner A4AI.

Thanks for reading. We hope you’re staying safe.

The post What we’re doing to help KaiOS users cope with the pandemic appeared first on KaiOS.

This week we launched our new website and, with it, the revamped KaiOS brand.

A brand is all about who you are, what you stand for, and what you’re trying to achieve. Therefore, you need to understand why your company exists.

Everyone at KaiOS is well-aligned on why we get out of bed every morning: to empower all people through technology (purpose) through our mission of advancing digital inclusion and closing the digital divide.

Though these words describe what we’re trying to achieve accurately, they didn’t feel right as the foundation of our brand and future.
We realized that “closing the digital divide” wasn’t too inspiring. It certainly is a meaningful objective, but the phrasing is abstract. And if you’re the person on the other side of the divide, these words mean very little to you.

You could even say the phrase is somewhat condescending: it takes the perspective of the person who is closing the divide and subtly suggests a position of superiority towards those on the other side of the digital gap.

This insight led us to the viewpoint of those who come online for the first time on a KaiOS-enabled phone and what connectivity means to them; internet access means excitement, possibility, and potential. Going online opens up new, unknown, and unexpected opportunities for connection and self-realization.

From this angle, we arrived at a much more compelling concept that still fits our “formal” mission of closing the digital divide. We captured this in a big idea, a manifesto, and, ultimately, a new tagline.

Big idea, manifesto, and tagline

Big idea

Unleash unexpected potential

Manifesto

By always competing for bigger and faster
We forget what really matters about technology:
It opens up new possibilities for individuals, organizations, and society
Allowing them to reach their full potential.

At KaiOS we see opportunities where others don’t
We dare to say yes when others say no
We jump in when others jump off.

This is how we, together with our partners,
Empower people to become agents of change
Inspiring each other to do and achieve more.

KaiOS reimagines the possibilities for all
By connecting countries, people, and ideas
One phone at a time.

KaiOS, enable tomorrow

Tagline

Enable captures the essence of an operating system: a platform that allows others to build their lives and businesses on top of it. We can also use the word in versatile ways for marketing, for example:

• Enable developers: for marketing related to our developer community
• Enable Africa: for an event in Africa
• Enable mobile operators: for a pitch to carriers.

Tomorrow symbolizes hope, optimism, possibility, and taking a long-term perspective; it signals that we work to build a better future.

Enable tomorrow

With this new direction for our brand, we’ve truly put our mission at the heart of everything we do. We hope this will inspire our team, partners, and users to advance digital inclusion and unleash unexpected potential everywhere.

For an in-depth, behind the scenes look at the entire rebranding process, visit the full version of this article on our Medium blog.

The post Enable tomorrow, the next phase for KaiOS appeared first on KaiOS.

In 2019, we shifted our focus to building the KaiOS ecosystem with important additions like WhatsApp, localized apps and content, and further expansion into Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.

Here are the highlights from the past year:

• KaiOS awards and achievements
• New KaiOS powered devices
• Exciting apps in the KaiStore
• Growing team
• Series B funding

KaiOS awards and achievements

We are honored and humbled by the recognition we received in 2019

TIME’s 100 Best inventions 2019

Each year, TIME releases a list of the 100 Best Inventions that highlights noteworthy inventions that make the world “better, smarter and even a little more fun.”

KaiOS was recognized in the Social Good category for making mobile internet more affordable and accessible to people around the world.

TIME stated: “About half the people in the world don’t have access to the Internet, which puts them at a disadvantage in business, education and other areas. KaiOS is working to bridge the digital divide with a lightweight mobile operating system that brings wi-fi, GPS, apps and other advanced features to affordable, nontouch phones.”

AfricaCom Changing Lives Award

We were thrilled that AfricaCom 2019 presented us with the Changing Lives Award. It is a great honor to receive an award designed to celebrate a product, initiative, or social enterprise that has demonstrated life-changing effects for individuals and/or communities within Africa.

Our work creating partnerships with mobile carriers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and developers led to affordable mobile devices and internet for millions in underserved areas throughout Africa.

Our mission has always been to improve the lives of people in emerging markets by bridging the digital divide, so we are especially proud of being recognized for our efforts.

“Hello from Tanzania! Brought over here from Vodacom’s Smart Kitochi launch so interested in the OS because it fills the niche I need. A smart feature rich phone is what is missing here in Tanzania! Nice touch on getting Xender + Google Maps, very popular here in Tanzania at the moment. I predict it will do very well here so keep up the good work!” – A Smart Kitochi user from Tanzania

GSMA 100

The GSMA 100 is “a global innovation discovery initiative designed to identify the world’s most promising growth-stage companies and advance the next generation of connectivity and digital services.” To be included alongside other organizations that are working towards global connectivity is an exciting honor.

China Mobile Innovation Competition: Best Terminal Solutions of the Year

In November 2019, KaiOS joined leaders in IT and mobile design during China Mobile Innovation Week. The event highlighted innovative work in mobile design from noteworthy companies in China and around the world.

During the mobile design content award ceremony, KaiOS was presented with a Swan Award, which is a prestigious award in China for mobile phones/solutions design. We were recognized in the Best Terminal Solutions of the Year category for our leadership in mobile solutions within our niche market.

United Nations presentation

We aim to contribute to UN Sustainable Development Goals by collaborating with government organizations and NGOs to make mobile devices and internet affordable and accessible to everyone.

This year, we’re invited to host a session at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) where our CEO, Sebastien Codeville highlighted the benefits of mobile connectivity along with how the lack of internet puts many people in emerging areas at a significant disadvantage in many aspects of life in his presentation.

New KaiOS-powered devices

In 2017, we launched two KaiOS-enabled smart feature phones. By the end of 2019, we will have a total of 25 phones available around the world.

You can read the full list of KaiOS-enabled devices and the companies that manufacture them here. Below is an overview of the devices announced so far.

Over 100 million devices worldwide are now running KaiOS, and we continue to expand into new regions. Each device has its own noteworthy features for different markets, but they all come have mobile connectivity, WiFi, and access to key apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, and a variety of apps in the KaiStore. While many KaiOS-powered devices are designed to provide an affordable way to get connected for the first time, others serve as a low-tech alternative for users who want a digital detox. The simple UI and hardware of KaiOS devices appeal to elderly users and the durable exterior of certain KaiOS phones make them ideal for rugged working conditions or outdoor sports. There is a KaiOS device for everyone.

Even tech-enthusiasts that normally use smartphones are impressed by the Go Flip 3. ZDnet writer, Matthew Miller noted that the Go Flip 3 “takes the experience to the next level thanks to the power of KaiOS providing Google Assistant, Google Maps, and an app store for basic applications.”

One KaiOS user said, “I’m in love with this OS. It’s perfect for someone who is addicted to smartphones, and wants to do something about it but can’t seem to be able to. With KaiOS, you basically still have a smartphone, but it eliminates the addiction problem of regular smartphones.”

“Congratulations for the great work, this is one of the best phones I’ve ever used.” – A Positivo P70S user from Brazil

Of course, these are just a few of the amazing devices running KaiOS. With 25 devices on the market, our smart feature phones continue to improve and reach new areas. Many OEMs and carriers have been so pleased with the market response that they have manufactured additional KaiOS-powered models. In 2019, we also saw promising expansion across the African continent as well as in key areas of Brazil, Pakistan, and Indonesia.

Exciting apps in the KaiStore

We have grown from 0 apps in 2017 to over 300 in 2019. While 2018 was focused on key partnerships that brought KaiOS users popular apps — such as Google Assistant, Facebook, and YouTube — 2019 brought a variety of new apps to the KaiStore. We’re especially proud of our work to expand the content ecosystem and bring more localized content to developing communities.

Life Initiative

Our educational app, Life, includes curated content in six categories: Digital Skills, Education, Health, Gender Equality, Agriculture, and Financial Education. These free resources are designed to give new users a jumpstart into the digital world and all it has to offer. It is officially launched now in several African countries, with more coming soon.

We developed the Digital Skills section based on GSMA’s Mobile Internet Skills Training Toolkit (MISTT) for our users who’re new to digital resources. The materials are designed to show the benefits of internet access, help the newly connected learn how to navigate the internet, understand data privacy, use social media, etc.

There is also a KaiOS-focused module that helps train frontline retail staff on key features of the operating system so that the staff can clearly explain the functionalities to end users.

There are additional content that help users do everything from improving their reading skills to finding new career opportunities. Our partnerships with Care, Cell-Ed, Esoko, Funzi, Girl Effect, iCow, Ubongo, Tambero, WeFarm, Worldreader, and many others have made this initiative a success. We look forward to adding more free resources in the future.

WhatsApp

WhatsApp is the most preferred messenger app in the world, with over 1.6 billion users globally as of 2019. Making this popular communications app available to our users marked a meaningful milestone for the KaiOS platform.

As of Q3 2019, WhatsApp was pre-installed on most KaiOS phones, but WhatsApp can now be downloaded or updated on any KaiOS-powered device from the KaiStore. Currently, WhatsApp is the most frequently downloaded and updated app on KaiOS devices.

UC Browser

UC Browser became the first third-party mobile browser available in the KaiStore which was developed by Alibaba’s UCWeb.

Bringing the most popular browser from Southeast Asia and India to the KaiOS platform was a big accomplishment. We were confident that many of our users would be happy to see UC Browser in the KaiStore. The browser is optimized particularly for KaiOS devices with a content platform that includes trending GIFs, articles, and videos from around the world.

Disney Content

This year, beloved Disney characters and stories from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars came to the KaiStore. Users in Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and India will soon be able to download Disney wallpapers, e-books, and games on their devices, which are all optimized for the KaiOS platform. Once launched, users will be able to purchase Disney content using our in-house mobile payment solution, KaiPay.

Notable developer contributions

We strive to make developing for KaiOS accessible to both beginner and experienced developers around the world. With the help of free developer resources, including the KaiOS Developer Portal, creators have designed apps for the KaiStore with emerging markets in mind.

Christian Waadt supports financial inclusion with his app, K-Loan. The utilities app is an amortization calculator that can be used to track loans.

Valeriy Skachko helps women manage their personal health with his app, Period Tracker. The health app allows women to track their menstrual cycles.  Skachko now has an incredible 22 apps live in the KaiStore. Stay tuned for a blog post featuring this dedicated developer!

Developer resources and events

The official launch of the developer portal in 2019 made developing impactful content for KaiOS users accessible to developers from a variety of locations and at different experience levels.It is completely free to use. We do not charge fees for account registration, access to QA tools, or app storage because we wanted to create a low barrier for entry into our developer ecosystem.

This year, we took part in several events that centered around developers as well. We met with developers across Africa and spent time with aspiring developers to show them how they could leverage the KaiOS platform to monetize their skills.

KaiOS grew in so many ways this year. In addition to all of the above accomplishments and additions to our platform, our company and partnerships saw significant growth as well.

Growing team

Since 2018, we have doubled our staff from 150 team members up to 300 employees worldwide. We now have offices in Hong Kong, Xi’An, Shanghai, and Taipei, San Diego, Paris, and Bangalore.

We’re still recruiting for multiple positions around the globe. be sure to take a look at the career opportunities we have available.

Series B funding

In 2019, we secured $50 million in a Series B funding round led by  Cathay Innovation, a global venture capital fund that partners with companies that aim to drive change through technology. Orange participated in the funding round as well, further strengthening our partnership and mission to expand mobile connectivity in Africa.

Support from Cathay Innovation, along with existing shareholders TCL Holdings and Google, primes KaiOS for rapid growth in the coming year. This funding will facilitate our expansion into additional markets, fund further research, and allow us to provide more resources for the developer community.

Keep an eye on KaiOS in 2020

We are already gearing up for some exciting endeavors in 2020. Follow us on Twitter to stay up-to-date on all of our projects!

The post KaiOS 2019 year in review appeared first on KaiOS.

We recently partnered with industry leaders Indosat Ooredoo, Telenor, and QMobile to make mobile internet accessible in Indonesia and Pakistan. We also began working with new media and entertainment companies – including Disney and UC Browser – to bring more quality content to users of smart feature phones in the region.

Our efforts haven’t gone unnoticed  – we even won an award at this year’s China Mobile Innovation Competition for our contributions to the mobile industry.

And to better support our partners in the region, we’re continuing to grow our offices in Xi’An, Shanghai, Taipei, Hong Kong, and Bangalore.

Read more about these Asia updates below.

QMobile and Telenor launch Pakistan’s first KaiOS device

Pakistanis can now enjoy mobile internet and apps like WhatsApp, YouTube, and Google Maps on affordable smart feature phones. The $25 USD (Pakistan Rs. 4000) QMobile 4G Plus’ unmatched durability, long-lasting battery life, and three-month bundle with free internet make it an appealing model for those looking to upgrade from feature phones. Check out more information about the device here.

Indosat Ooredoo launches its first KaiOS-powered device in Indonesia

In celebration of its 52nd anniversary, Indosat Ooredoo, Indonesia’s leading digital telecommunications provider is launching its first smart feature phone, Hape Online. The new device comes with WhatsApp, Google Assistant, and 1GB of free data per month for a year. Read more about the launch.

Disney characters come to the KaiStore

Children’s favorite characters is available on KaiOS-powered phones in Vietnam as part of the wallpaper shop app in the KaiStore. More Disney content will be coming to Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and India soon. Find out more.

UC Browser now available for free on KaiOS

A browsing tool that’s also a content platform, the UC Browser, developed by Alibaba’s UCWeb, is now available on KaiOS. Read more about our partnership.

Kai wins award in China Mobile Innovation Competition

We won a Swan Award in the Best Terminal Solutions of the Year category in this year’s China Mobile Innovation Competition for our leadership in mobile solutions within our niche market.

Job openings in Kai’s Asia offices

We’re growing our offices in Hong Kong, Xi’An, Shanghai, Taipei, and Bangalore, and we’d love to have you joining. Check out our job openings.

The post Here’s what we’ve been doing in Asia appeared first on KaiOS.

Tools and resources include:

• A guide to building your first app, with sample code, reference guides, and software development kits (SDKs)
• Instructions for ENV setup to configure your development environment
• A simulator running Gaia and web apps in a Gecko-based environment
• and more

In addition to these resources and support, KaiOS gives developers access to a large, unique user base which includes first-time internet users in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Running on over 100 million devices worldwide, KaiOS is already the world’s third-largest OS – and we’re growing.

“We’re delighted to welcome more developers, designers, and engineers into our ecosystem, and can’t wait to see all of the incredible content they create,” said Sebastien Codeville, CEO of KaiOS Technologies.

Click here to visit our Developer Portal. To find out the answers to common questions that tend to come up during the development process, check out our FAQ.

The post KaiOS launches Developer Portal appeared first on KaiOS.

Key takeaways from the educate to empower panel discussion

On Tuesday, July 16, we sat alongside representatives from Orange, Safaricom, Prepclass, Mara Phone Rwanda, Bankable Frontier Associates (BFA), and DialTel, as they discussed the true impact of the fourth industrial revolution.

The panelists emphasized that in order for Africa to be a part of, or even lead the fourth industrial revolution, a local tech ecosystem is mission-critical. This doesn’t just mean ensuring that hardware production and software development are taking place regionally (although Mara Phone provided an excellent example of that), it means ensuring that there are educational resources to equip people with the skills and information they need to be successful, not just knowledgeable. In other words, teaching someone to code, but also how to manage a product, prioritize a product roadmap, etc.

There was also much discussion surrounding the role governments can play; pushing digital transformation, generating demand for such skills, and creating opportunity for actual work experience. Governing bodies also hold the power to make tech skills a part of a high school curriculum, instead of waiting for university, which is still reserved for middle class or those with greater personal wealth.

Mobile Internet skills training toolkit for KaiOS-powered smart feature phones

Millions of people gain access to the internet for the first time every year, but a “usage gap” of 3.2 billion people around the world remains. One of the biggest barriers to adoption, alongside affordability, is digital illiteracy, which is why KaiOS Technologies and GSMA are excited to announce that a new Mobile Internet Skills Training Toolkit (MISTT) specifically designed for KaiOS-powered smart feature phones, is coming later this year.

The visual, easy-to-follow curriculum will integrate into the existing MISTT materials and cover topics from internet safety to using Facebook, and everything in-between. It will also serve as a how-to guide for local carriers, retail staff, and users themselves to better explain smart feature phones and the many important features/services they host.

These training materials are further testament to KaiOS Technologies and GSMA’s dedication to eliminating the digital divide, as they serve as a transition to digital literacy and encourage the connection of the next billion users.

The post Mobile 360 Africa: Educate to empower panel discussion and new GSMA partnership appeared first on KaiOS.

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