China Unicom offers Android-powered phone

It is pretty interesting to note that China Mobile is carrying a special version of its Android-powered phone known as the OPhone, but that doesn’t mean its closest rival is going to just sit down and do nothing. No sir, China Unicom, being the second largest carrier in China, is currently working on an “uPhone” platform which will be sitting prettily on top of Google’s mobile OS. It seems as though the new user interface will borrow elements from Apple’s iOS and Samsung’s TouchWIZ, taking on the strengths of different platforms into a single skin. China Unicom is also working on their own Unistore app store that will be “compatible with the Android Market.” It does bring up a thought though – will any of it violate Apple or Samsung’s patents?