Android-based smartphones currently account for over 90% of smartphone OS market share in Taiwan, leaving little room for other platforms, including Firefox OS and Tizen, according to market sources.

　　With the exception of Apple's iOS, which normally can grab up to a double-digit share in the first two consecutive quarters after the release of a new generation of iPhone, no other platforms including Windows Phone and BlackBerry are able to capture an over 3% market share, said the sources.

　　Although LG Electronics, Sony Mobile Communications, ZTE, TCL and Huawei have begun marketing Firefox-based smartphones in a number of markets, Taiwan's telecom operators are reluctant to introduce these models into Taiwan as local consumers are not familiar with the Firefox OS, said the sources, adding that chance is low for the Firefox-based models to make debut in the Taiwan market before year-end 2014.

　　While Jolla may push sales of its Sailfish OS-based smartphone in Asia, the model is not expected to enter the Taiwan market because Taiwan is not considered as one the key markets in the area, commented the sources.

　　Samsung is likely to debut its Tizen-based smartphones in the first quarter of 2014 and is highly possible for the Korea-based vendor to introduce the Tizen phones into the Taiwan market, leveraging its leading market positions in the local smartphone and tablet segments, added the sources.

　　However, the WP8 phone may gain a boost in 2014 as Sony Mobile and a number of China-based smartphone vendors are likely to join the WP8 camp amid speculations indicating that Microsoft is intending to license its OS free of charge or to subsidize vendors for development and marketing of the WP8 phones, said the sources.