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A video has appeared on YouTube showing the first successes of a group who are attempting to create a hybrid Android and webOS mobile operating system. The reason why is less clear.
A group of webOS enthusiasts going by the ambitious title Phoenix International Communications (PIC) has reached the pre-Alpha phase of this project, working with the open-source WebOS components made available back in September. The video shows several basic elements of webOS executing within Android on an older Nexus S handset.
The end goal seems to be to create a hybrid system. This, from the team’s video description on YouTube:
“Our vision for this project envisions a scenario in which users are able to switch quickly between the two systems without having to reboot, presenting a more convenient way for those webOS users who rely on Android apps to be able to access them.”
But, if you rely on Android apps, couldn’t you just use Android? Perhaps our opinion of the project is coloured by the fact that the no webOS devices launched in Australia, but if we were switching back and forth to use Android apps, what would be the time when we’d be switching to use webOS?
In concept, this could be more interesting for the mobile industry than just as an enthusiast project. We know that there are big players in the industry who are looking for alternatives to Android and new competition for iOS. It wouldn’t be a surprise to learn that a company like Samsung, LG or HTC is tinkering with a very similar project in its R&D labs.
