China's own phone OS aims to be more secure than Android or iPhone

China, wary of operating systems from the Western world, has built a new smartphone OS that it believes will be more secure than the likes of Android and the iPhone. While China claims it as its own, the OS looks like it's based on Android.

China Operating System, or COS, was unveiled last week by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Shanghai-based Liantong Network Communications Technology, the New York Times reported. COS is "designed for use on many devices including smartphones and personal computers" and was called "a strategic product for national security," the Times said. US surveillance and the end of support for Windows XP reportedly played a role in the system's creation. Liantong Deputy GM Chen Feili said the ultimate goal is to make COS China's main operating system.

While Windows is the predominant desktop OS in China, Android commands about 90 percent of China's smartphone market, with iOS taking most of the rest, IDC reports.