Samsung plans a Linux based smartphone OS

SAMSUNG PLANS TO LAUNCH its own Linux-based smartphone operating system, dubbed "Bada".

Samsung must be hoping that its Bada smartphone OS will give Google's Android a run for its money.

Bada is derived from the Korean word for 'ocean' and will be a completely open platform. If a developer can write it, Bada will run it, if it doesn't defy the laws of physics of course.

The OS is in the same league as Nokia's Maemo and the Linux Mobile Foundation's Limo project.

It will ship some time in the first half of 2010 and then carriers will have the ability to customise the operating system. There will probably be a sneak preview for developers in late December.

The telcos will love the idea of the phone being open enough for them to customise, however there could be a few problems if one of them wants to lock it down too much.

Following the Apple model, there is almost certainly going to be a centralised application store which offers downloadable software for all versions of the OS.

Currently Samsung is using Nokia's Symbian platform and it is believed that Bada will not only replace that, but end the use of Windows Mobile at the South Korean phone maker.

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