Smartphone vendor Vivo has launched a new operating system called OriginOS, based on Google's Android operating system, as part of its efforts to stand out amid intense competition from rivals such as Oppo and Huawei.

The move comes at a time when Chinese smartphone companies are sharpening their technological competence by improving their hardware and software capabilities.

With OriginOS, Vivo has gone all-in on customization and personalization of the operating system's user interface, or the means by which the user and a system interact, to deliver a better software experience. For instance, it has offered a series of new interactive features that allow users to better connect the virtual and the real world.

Vivo said it took more than a year for the company to develop the new operating system.

Xiang Ligang, director-general of the Information Consumption Alliance, said Chinese smartphone companies are placing greater emphasis on software, as they realize that in an era of the internet of things, technology companies must have strong capabilities in hardware, software and services to better distinguish themselves from others.

Tech giant Huawei announced the second edition of its in-house operating system HarmonyOS in September, and aims to have more than 200 million devices and equipment using the system in a year.

Yang Haisong, vice-president of the software department at Huawei's consumer business group, said earlier that the goal is to have 100 million units of Huawei's own devices and equipment equipped with HarmonyOS in a year. The company hopes the balance would come from third-party companies.

Huawei said the use of HarmonyOS its smartphones will start next year, though it did not disclose what proportion of its smartphones would account for the company's goal of 200 million devices.

A smaller rival Oppo also made a similar move in September by unveiling the latest update of its operating system ColorOS, which was also developed on the basis of Android, as the Chinese tech company strengthens its push to offer a better software experience in the internet of things era.

Wu Henggang, vice-president of Oppo, said as of July 2020, monthly ColorOS active users have exceeded 370 million, thanks to its globalization strategy and its growing number of partners.

Oppo also said that it would devote resources worth 200 million yuan ($30.5 million) to strengthening cooperation with third-party companies, such as home appliances maker Midea, to build a vibrant IoT ecosystem.