Facebook Reportedly Working on In-House OS to Replace Android

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In a bid to end its increasing reliance on Android, Facebook is now reportedly said to be working on its own operating system. It’s developing the OS from scratch to power the company’s own hardware dreams – VR headsets and Portal smart home devices. That’s according to a report in The Information, which claims that the social media giant has tasked Mark Lucovsky, the co-author of Microsoft’s Windows NT, with the project.

Talking to the publication on the issue, Facebook’s Vice President of Hardware, Andrew Bosworth, said that the company is taking a DIY approach because it cannot trust other tech companies with the job. According to him, “We really want to make sure the next generation has space for us. We don’t think we can trust the marketplace or competitors to ensure that’s the case. And so we’re gonna do it ourselves.”

Facebook is already building AR/VR headsets under its Oculus brand and has also forayed into video calling devices like Portal that currently runs Android. The report adds that the company is believed to be constructing a new 770,000 square foot campus in Burlingame, California, with the capacity for about 4,000 employees. The new facility will be “devoted entirely to a burgeoning Facebook group making new hardware.”

The company is also rumored to be working on its own custom silicon chips and a voice assistant powered by artificial intelligence as part of its plan to create a more Apple-like gated eco-system for its VR/AR platform. However, given that the company’s reputation has taken a beating following persistent allegations of privacy violations, it will surely be interesting to see how things pan out going forward.

With inputs from IANS

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