Do you think IIT Guwahati certified course can help you in your career?
Introduction
Hello Ninjas. I hope you all have come across the term Operating Systems. It is a program that manages all the other activities and programs in a system. Operating systems can be of different types and for different devices. For example, we have Android for smartphones, macOS developed by Apple for Apple Computers, Windows developed by Microsoft, and so on. But have you heard of Symbian OS? It was a very popular Operating System for smartphones that was used before Android was introduced in 2008.
In this article, we are going to learn about the Symbian Os. We will be studying what the features of Symbian OS were and what functionalities were being provided by Symbian OS. We will also learn the features, advantages, disadvantages, and what caused its downfall.
So without any delay, let's dive deep into the topic.
What is Symbian OS?
Way before Android, Symbian Os was the most popular and widely-used smartphone operating system. Symbian os was developed by Symbian LTD, and it was meant for mobile phones. It was a closed-source mobile operating system, meaning that the Symbian os source code was not available to the public when it was first released in 1998. It was used in devices with very few computational and operational needs since the number of resources available was very few.
History of Symbian OS
Symbian OS was first released in 1998 by Symbian Ltd. But before 1998, Symbian LTD was known as Psion LTD, which had developed an operating system called EPOC which used to run on ARM Processors. In 1998 Psion became Symbian Ltd., and the OS EPOC was named Symbian OS. These changes happened due to a joint venture between telephone manufacturers like Motorola, Ericcson, and Nokia. At that time, Symbian os was a closed-source software.
In 2008, Symbian Os was completely bought by Nokia, and Nokia made the source code of Symbian Os publicly available under an open-source license.
Various versions of Symbian Os that were released over the years are-
EPOC32(Electronic Piece of Cheese)
Symbian OS 6.0 and 6.1
Symbian OS 6.2
Symbian OS 7.0
Symbian OS 7.0
Symbian OS 8.0
Symbian OS 9.1
Symbian OS 9.3
Symbian OS 9.5
In the year 2014, the use of Symbian OS was discontinued. We will discuss the reason for its decline later in the article.
Why was Symbian Operating System Put Out of Practice?
The Symbian operating system fell out of favor mainly due to several factors, including its inability to keep up with evolving technology. It faced user-friendliness, app development challenges, and competition from other mobile OS like iOS and Android. Symbian had a complex and less intuitive user interface compared to its competitors.
App developers found creating and updating Symbian applications challenging. As a result, users and developers migrated to more advanced and user-friendly platforms, leading to Symbian's decline and eventual discontinuation, making way for newer, more versatile mobile operating systems.
What was Symbian OS Used for?
Symbian OS was a mobile operating system primarily used in smartphones and mobile devices. It was renowned for its versatility and widespread adoption, particularly during the early 2000s when it dominated the smartphone market. Symbian powered a range of devices from various manufacturers, including Nokia, Sony Ericsson, and Samsung. Its primary functions included providing a platform for running applications, managing device hardware, and facilitating communication capabilities such as calling, messaging, and internet browsing. Symbian OS played a pivotal role in the evolution of mobile technology, paving the way for subsequent operating systems like iOS and Android.
Symbian OS Architecture
Symbian os is a C++-based operating system. The base component of Symbian Os is its kernel. Symbian os uses a hard real-time, multithreaded microkernel architecture and has a request-and-callback approach to services. The kernel also performs preemptive multitasking.
Symbian Os consists of the following five layers-
UI framework layer
The topmost layer of Symbian OS is the UI Framework layer which provides the frameworks and libraries for constructing a user interface.
Application Software layer
This is the second layer of Symbian Os which provides services (independent of hardware, applications, or user interface) to applications and other higher-level programs. Services can be specific application technology such as messaging and multimedia.
Os service layer
This layer is also known as the middleware layer which provides a framework, servers, and libraries.
Base service layer
This is the second last layer of the Symbian OS and it includes File servers and User library.
Kernel Service layer
The lowest layer of Symbian OS is the Kernel Services and Hardware Interface layer which contains the operating system kernel and the supporting components which abstract the interfaces to the underlying hardware, including logical and physical device drivers.
Features of Symbian OS
The following features are provided by Symbian os-
User Interface
The graphical user interface provided by Symbian os was very interactive for both the touchscreen mobile and the mobiles with keypads.
Multimedia Support
Symbian os also had features like playback and recording high-quality videos and audio. It also had a supported image conversion feature that allowed users to convert images from one format to another.
Security Support
Security was one of the most important features that came with Symbian Os. It provided protection against different malware and a secure platform for application development. Some security feature that Symbian Os provided was device locking.
Browser
The initial version of Symbian Os came with Opera as a pre-installed browser in them. Still, later a new default browser was developed to provide a better user interface and a faster speed. This browser was based on WebKit.
Compatibility
Symbian Os was easily compatible with different hardware devices such as mobile phones, tablets, etc.
Connectivity
Symbian Os supported various functionalities like Bluetooth, wifi, and cellular data. This enhanced the user experience by increasing the connectivity of devices among each other.
Application Development
Different types of programming languages could be used to make applications for Symbian Os, and the Symbian OS also had a lot of applications such as games and utility applications like calculators and other applications.
Multitasking- Symbian Os had a multithreaded kernel EKA2 that supported multitasking and enabled users to run multiple applications simultaneously.
Better Batter Life- Symbian devices were very efficient regarding power usage. Even with advanced functionalities like a richer user interface, multimedia, and web browsing, the devices had a longer battery life.
Low Hardware Requirements- Symbian Os can also be run on Low-end devices like those with less RAM and resources. The hardware requirements for running Symbian os were very low.
Open Source Development- Symbian os had become an open source software which meant that users and developers worldwide could work on the software to enhance its capabilities and add features.
Third-Party App- Symbian os allowed third-party software to enhance the platform for better operating system performance.
Drawbacks of Symbian OS
The Symbian Os had the following drawbacks
Incompatibility with desktop- It was only developed for mobile devices. It was not compatible with desktop devices.
Downgraded Performance- The performance of the Symbian os was not as good as the performance of ios and Android. It gave delayed results and needed to be faster in comparison to ios and android operating system.
Third-Party Apps- Initially, the number of third-party apps available for Symbian os was large. Still, with the increase in popularity of Android and Ios, major developers switched to making apps that will run on Ios and Android.
Limited User Interface- The user interface was customizable and very complex, and difficult to use compared to the user interface of other Operating Systems such as Ios and Android, which was simple and appealing to the users.
Outdated Technology- Symbian Os could not catch up with Ios and Android in the race to adopt new technologies to add new features. This was a huge drawback of Symbian os.
Dependence on Nokia- Symbian Os was heavily dependent on Nokia for its improvement and upgradation because, in 2008, Symbian Ltd was completely bought by Nokia
Symbian OS today
Symbian Os is no longer in use, and the development of the Symbian Os was completely stopped after Nokia terminated its support of software development and maintenance for Symbian in 2014.No new changes have been made to Symbian Os ever since then. Nowadays, Android and Ios are preferred over Symbian Os as an operating systems for mobile phones.
The Decline of Symbian OS
We know that Android and Ios are currently the most popular Operating Systems for mobile phones, but what happened to Symbian Os? Problems started to arise for Symbian Os when Android came into existence. However, Android was initially not as popular among users as now. But slowly, over time, Android adapted to new technologies and was able to fulfill the demands of the users in a better way than Symbian Os.
On the other hand, Symbian Os could not adapt to the ever-changing software technologies, and they did not make any internal improvements in Symbian Os.
The following are the main cause of the decline of Symbian Os-
Poor Internet Performance- The surfing experience provided by Symbian Os was very poor because of the low internet speed. This caused a delay in downloading speed of third-party apps. On the other hand, Ios Android provided much better Internet speed to their users.
Downgraded Performance- The performance of the Symbian os was not as good as the performance of ios and Android. It gave delayed results and needed to be faster in comparison to ios and Android operating systems
Absence of Third-Party Apps- A considerable number of developers had switched to Android app development, and the number of third-party apps for Symbian Os was significantly less in comparison to Ios and Android.
Inability to cater to developers- Symbian Os could not catch up with Ios and Android in the race to adopt new technologies to add new features. This was a massive drawback of Symbian os.
Dependence on Partners- Symbian Os was heavily dependent on its partner, like Nokia, for its improvement and upgradation because in 2008, Symbian Ltd was bought entirely by Nokia. And the changes took longer than usual as they involved getting approval from thousands of its partner companies.
Lack of Profitability- Symbian os could not provide a systematic and well-organized channel for the sale of apps or to promote the apps. While Android had Google PlayStore and Ios had iTunes, Symbian had no such platform.
Symbian OS vs. other mobile operating systems
Other mobile operating systems (Android, IOS) are very much different than the Symbian Os.
Symbian OS
Other Mobile OS (Android, IOS)
The applications for Symbian OS have lengthy and complex code.
The applications for Android are simpler in comparison to Symbian OS.
Symbian OS provides limited functionality.
Android offers unlimited applications.
Symbian Os has a microkernel-based architecture that only provides minimal functionality.
Android OS has a Linux-based kernel.
Symbian os is more prone to bugs and viruses and has a lot of security threats.
Android and IOS are relatively more secure than Symbian OS.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Symbian Os still in use?
No, Symbian os is not currently in use because its development was stopped in 2014 when Nokia who had acquired Symbian previously terminated its support and maintenance for Symbian. Currently, Android Os and IoS are the most used operating systems for mobiles.
Which operating system other than Symbian is used in mobile phones?
Many different operating systems other than Symbian Os are being used in mobile phones and smartphones. Some of them are Android and Ios which are used in the Apple mobile phones. They have better performance capabilities than the Symbian Operating system.
What is the difference between Android OS and Symbian OS?
There are many differences between Symbian Os and Android OS. Android Os has a Linux-based kernel while Symbian Os has a microkernel-based architecture that only provides minimal functionality. Symbian Os are also more prone to viruses than Android and have major security issues.
What is the Symbian OS in Android?
Symbian OS is not directly related to Android. Symbian was a separate mobile operating system developed primarily for Nokia smartphones, while Android is a Linux-based mobile operating system developed by Google, used in a wide range of devices.
Why did Symbian OS fail?
Symbian OS faced challenges due to its complexity, slower development cycles, and the rise of more user-friendly competitors like iOS and Android. Additionally, Nokia's decision to transition to Windows Phone further contributed to the decline of Symbian.
Who developed Symbian OS?
Symbian OS was developed by Symbian Ltd., a consortium initially formed by Psion, Nokia, Ericsson, Motorola, and later joined by other mobile industry giants like Samsung, Sony Ericsson, and Siemens.
Conclusion
In this article, we discussed the Symbian OS. We went through their Definition, History, Feature, advantages, and disadvantages, and reasons for the decline of Symbian os. We hope you enjoyed this article.
We also added some FAQs related to the Symbian os.
34+ registered 
