Credit: Ryan Haines / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Nothing’s latest video with MrWhoseTheBoss breaks down what it really costs to build a smartphone OS from scratch.
- The team estimates a total cost of $40.47 million, higher than the approximate $26 million needed for flagship hardware.
- By using AOSP instead of starting from zero, Nothing saves time, money, and gains full access to Google’s ecosystem.
Ever wondered what it takes to build a custom operating system from scratch? In its latest collaboration with YouTuber MrWhoseTheBoss, Nothing takes a closer look at what it truly costs to build a new operating system from the ground up. The video, which aimed to create a custom OS for Arun Maini, breaks down every stage of the process, from planning to deployment, and reveals that developing a fully functional mobile OS would cost an eye-watering $40.47 million. As the video highlights, that figure is even higher than the estimated $26 million it would take to produce the hardware of a flagship phone, as shown in the duo’s earlier Dream Phone project.
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