Vivo is preparing for a major global software overhaul, officially retiring its Funtouch OS in international markets and replacing it with the highly anticipated OriginOS.
The Shift from Funtouch OS
For years, Vivo has maintained a dual-operating system strategy: the feature-rich OriginOS for its home market and the more conventional Funtouch OS for its global devices, including those in Southeast Asia. This generated persistent user requests for the global rollout of OriginOS, which is celebrated for its deep customisation, visual fluidity, and intelligent features.
The company has officially scheduled the OriginOS Global launch for October 15, 2025, live from Shanghai, China. The event will usher in the launch of OriginOS 6, which is built on Android 16. This event will mark the unification of the company’s mobile software brand globally, promising a smoother and smarter mobile experience for all users.
What to Expect from OriginOS 6
OriginOS 6 brings a comprehensive overhaul to the user interface, moving towards a cleaner, more fluid, and AI-centric design philosophy.
Visual and Customisation Overhaul: The lock screen is being revamped with new customisation options, including transparent lock screen clock designs with glass-like refractions. Users will gain the freedom to move the clock anywhere on the screen, similar to other major operating systems. The home screen will feature a refined UI with new textures and elements, focusing on making the interface look more seamless and pleasant.
Performance and Fluidity: Vivo has focused heavily on optimisation. The company claims significant performance gains, noting that apps open up to 11% faster and feel 57% more responsive due to core changes in the system’s framework. The entire experience emphasises smoother transitions and fluid animations.
Intelligent Features: The update introduces practical, space-saving features like widgets and notification stacking, which allow users to manage multiple notifications and widgets effectively without cluttering the screen. AI capabilities are also enhanced, with a focus on refining system optimisation and integrating early AI tools for tasks like photo editing. The Object Eraser feature, for example, is expected to receive upgrades, potentially allowing users to remove objects from Live Photos.
Cross-Ecosystem Capabilities: While details are still emerging, OriginOS 6 is expected to introduce enhanced cross-ecosystem features, teasing the possibility for users to utilise iPads as secondary screens, sync notes, and share photos seamlessly.
Availability and Rollout Timeline
The official unveiling of OriginOS 6 will take place in China on October 10, with the global launch and developer announcements following on October 15, 2025.
The Vivo X300 series and iQOO 15 are expected to be the first devices to ship with OriginOS 6 right out of the box. For existing users, Vivo has already opened a limited “Preview Program” for the Vivo X200 Pro and iQOO 13 in certain regions, giving early adopters a taste of the new Android 16-based OS. The official stable global rollout is expected to begin for flagships in Q4 2025 or Q1 2026, with the transition from Funtouch OS to OriginOS being a gradual process for older, eligible devices. Users can expect a noticeable leap in polish and feature set compared to the previous Funtouch OS 15.
As Malaysia takes the helm as ASEAN chair in 2025, one of the most ambitious regional goals is taking centre stage: the finalisation of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA). This framework aims to build a seamless, integrated digital economy across one of the world’s most diverse and dynamic regions. The discussions around DEFA are often dominated by high-level policy talk of trade rules, data governance, and cross-border payments. But a crucial question is often overlooked: what is the technological foundation on which this entire interconnected ecosystem should be built?
(Source: myasean2025.my) Malaysian Prime Minister and Finance Minister, YB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, at the 12th ASEAN Finance Ministers’ And Central Bank Governors’ Meeting.
Choosing the right technological principles is not a minor detail—it’s a strategic decision that will determine whether the ASEAN digital economy becomes a vibrant, collaborative powerhouse or a fragmented collection of siloed, proprietary systems. In a recent conversation with Kelly Switt, Global Head of Industrial Business at Red Hat, she argues that the answer isn’t a specific product or a single vendor, but a philosophy that has powered technological progress for decades: open source.
This isn’t just about saving costs on software licenses. It’s a strategic argument for using open source as a foundational policy to ensure the long-term success, resilience, and sovereignty of the region’s digital future.
The Great Equaliser for a Diverse Region
One of the biggest challenges for DEFA is the sheer diversity of the member states’ economies. A technological framework that works for Singapore’s hyper-developed digital landscape must also be accessible to emerging digital economies within the bloc. According to Switt, this is where open source excels, acting as a “great kind of equaliser”.
The core principle of open source is the democratisation of technology. By providing free and open access to cutting-edge software, it levels the playing field. Local startups in Malaysia and across ASEAN can access the same powerful tools as global tech giants, allowing them to innovate and scale without being locked into expensive, proprietary ecosystems. This fosters a more inclusive and competitive environment, which is essential for broad-based regional growth. A report from the World Bank on digital trade highlights that interoperability, a key feature of open-source standards, is critical for reducing barriers for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to participate in the global digital economy.
“If you think about it, it’s about freedom of access, right? And the democratisation of the technology.”
Kelly Switt, Global Head of Industrial Business at Red Hat
For a framework like DEFA to succeed, the digital systems of ten different nations must be able to communicate seamlessly. Open source, with its emphasis on common standards and interoperability, provides the common technological language needed to connect these diverse economies.
Building a Resilient and Scalable Talent Pool
A digital economy is only as strong as the people who build and maintain it. One of the most significant, yet often underestimated, benefits of an open-source-first strategy is its impact on talent development.
Switt points out a critical flaw in relying on closed, proprietary systems: knowledge becomes siloed. When a company builds its operations around a niche technology, it becomes dependent on a small pool of experts. “When someone leaves, so goes all the knowledge about how a system operates”. This creates a significant risk for businesses and for a nation’s overall tech capacity.
Open source flips this dynamic. By building on globally recognised platforms and communities, companies and governments can tap into a vast, continuously evolving talent pool. The communities driving the most valuable open-source projects are powered by thousands of contributors, all sharing knowledge and building skills collaboratively. This creates a virtuous cycle: as more organisations adopt open source, the demand for these skills grows, encouraging universities and training institutions to incorporate them into their curricula, which in turn expands the local talent pool. The Linux Foundation’s annual “Open Source Jobs Report” consistently finds that proficiency in open-source software is one of the most in-demand skills in the tech industry, with a majority of employers actively seeking to hire professionals with this expertise.
For Malaysia, which is attracting record foreign investment to become a premier hub for data centres, building this scalable workforce is not just an advantage—it’s a necessity. The massive physical infrastructure being built will require an equally massive pool of skilled talent to operate it, and open source provides the most effective path to developing that workforce at scale.
Fostering True Innovation and National Sovereignty
The traditional relationship between a technology user and a vendor is often a passive one. A company buys a product and is locked into that vendor’s ecosystem for updates, support, and future innovation. This “vendor lock-in” poses a strategic risk, particularly at a national or regional level. It can stifle local innovation and create dependencies that undermine digital sovereignty.
The open-source model fundamentally changes this relationship. It transforms users from passive ‘customers’ into active ‘collaborators’ in a shared innovation ecosystem. Switt notes that this shift is already happening in industries like manufacturing, where customers are pushing their suppliers to adopt more open systems to gain better control over their data and operations.
“Innovation comes from the sharing of ideas. You’re creating this talent pool in a very open, collaborative, innovative environment.”
Kelly Switt, Global Head of Industrial Business at Red Hat
By adopting open-source principles, the ASEAN bloc can ensure that its digital infrastructure remains flexible and adaptable. It allows member states to build upon a common foundation while retaining the freedom to customise solutions for their unique needs. It fosters an environment where innovation is driven by a diverse community of collaborators, not dictated by the product roadmap of a single corporation.
A Strategic Choice for ASEAN’s Future
As Malaysia guides ASEAN towards finalising the DEFA, the choices made today will shape the region’s digital landscape for decades. The debate over its technological foundation should go beyond comparing features and prices. It should be a strategic discussion about what kind of digital economy ASEAN wants to build.
The argument for an open-source-first approach is compelling. It offers a path to a more equitable, interoperable, and innovative digital future. It empowers local talent, prevents strategic dependencies, and ensures that the benefits of the digital economy are shared broadly. Making open source a core principle of DEFA is not just a technical decision; it’s a powerful policy choice for a truly sovereign and collaborative digital ASEAN.
The technology company Nothing, known for its distinct, transparent-design devices, has announced a major corporate restructuring by spinning off its sub-brand, CMF by Nothing, into an independent subsidiary. This move is a clear strategic decision to separate its premium line from its mass-market offering, positioning CMF to become a standalone global consumer technology brand with its global headquarters based in India.
Image generated by Gemini using NanoBanana
CMF by Nothing was first established in 2023 with the goal of offering affordable, design-led products, including smartwatches and earbuds, before expanding into the budget smartphone segment. The reason for the spin-off is two-fold: it protects the brand image of the flagship Nothing line, which continues to focus on the high-end market, while allowing CMF to pursue aggressive growth in the competitive budget segment. This new independence means the “by Nothing” footnote will eventually be dropped, allowing CMF to operate fully on its own.
The transformation of CMF into an independent subsidiary is supported by a significant financial investment and a strategic manufacturing joint venture. This new venture is backed by a partnership with Optiemus Infracom, a major Indian electronics manufacturer. Nothing and Optiemus are committing to invest over $100 million USD into this venture over the next three years. This substantial investment is projected to create more than 1,800 new jobs in the region.
Had the honor of meeting Minister Shri @AshwiniVaishnaw – the driving force behind Make in India and the country’s thriving tech ecosystem. There is no doubt; India will play a key role in shaping the future of the global smartphone industry.
Carl Pei, CEO of Nothing, explained that India will serve as CMF’s base for all operations, including R&D and manufacturing. This strongly reinforces the Indian Government’s “Make in India” initiative.
What This Means for the Brand Moving Forward
By basing operations in India, CMF is positioning itself in a market where affordable devices (priced between $100–$200) make up the dominant segment of smartphone shipments. This proximity to the supply chain and consumer base is expected to significantly reduce costs and accelerate the time it takes for new products to reach the market.
The long-term vision is for CMF to become a new Global Player. The company’s mission is to be “India’s first truly global consumer tech brand – built from India, to the world”. The joint venture with Optiemus will focus on producing export-ready products, leveraging local expertise and manufacturing scale to compete directly with budget market leaders like Xiaomi and Realme on a global scale.
Finally, the operational split ensures a Clearer Brand Identity. The core Nothing brand can maintain its focus on premium, high-end, and experimental designs, while CMF is free to pursue aggressive, volume-driven growth without confusing customers or diluting the flagship brand’s positioning. This restructuring signals an adaptive business model where localization and strategic investment are the keys to scaling a consumer electronics brand in the global economy.
