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Nokia N9 Spotted Running KaiOS At CES 2019

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The month of January saw one of the biggest tech conventions of the year, CES 2019. The tech event was held in Las Vegas, United States and companies from around the world showcased their latest and greatest innovations. Global search giant, Google showcased a wide variety of products and services. Intriguingly a Nokia device that looks similar to the honoured Nokia N9 running KaiOS was spotted at the Google booth.

What Is KaiOS?

KaiOS is a Linux-based mobile operating system that was first developed to bring smart features to non-touch devices. The OS intends to provide an optimised user interface and long battery life to devices with less memory. It is a lightweight OS that is even able to run on devices with just 256 MB of RAM. The main features that the operating system aims to add to affordable phones are 4G LTE and Wi-FI.

Phones running on KaiOS are capable of receiving OTA (Over The Air) updates like Android and iOS smartphones. Additionally, the company has readied a dedicated market place for the OS called KaiStore from where the users can download applications.

KaiOS On The Nokia N9

During the CES event, Google showcased three voice assistant compatible devices which include the Nokia 8810, Jio Phone and a Nokia N9 lookalike. Although the screen of the Nokia N9 doppelgänger was turned off, its placement with other KaiOS powered phones indicate it also runs the same operating system.

Since most KaiOS powered devices have an affordable price tag it is possible that Nokia might launch an affordable touchscreen smartphone. Possibly the company might launch a complete lineup of affordable smartphones that run on KaiOS. Unfortunately, Nokia has not made any comments about the launch of such a device but its presence at CES indicates a strong possibility of this turning into reality. Furthermore, if the company does launch the Nokia N9 with KaiOS, it is expected to have better features than the original smartphone.