Symbian OS
A mobile operating system made specifically for smartphones was called Symbian. It was created by Symbian Ltd., a company that creates software. In 1998, Symbian Ltd. was founded. The new open-source platform was made available by the Symbian Foundation, which replaced Symbian Ltd in 2008. The Symbian OS development was stopped in 2014.
What is Symbian OS?
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Symbian is a defunct mobile operating system that was developed and marketed by Symbian Ltd. It was developed for cell phones in 1998, and it was a closed-source mobile operating system. Symbian OS was created for usage on more expensive mobile phones. It was a mobile operating system with constrained resources, soft real-time demands, and multitasking needs.
Symbian took up the software development and utilized it as the basis for their smartphone line of products. The Symbian OS makes the open-source setting possible via the S60, UIQ, and MOAP interfaces. As Symbian is an embedded software system, C++ was used for its creation and was thought of as the major programming language. Java was the second-most popular programming language which was used with the Symbian OS. Assembler, C#, Javascript, Visual Basic, and other programming languages were also employed.
The Pison EPOC gave birth to the Symbian OS, which ran on ARM processors. Due to a partnership between Psion and the phone makers Ericsson, Motorola, and Nokia, the Pison software was rebranded as Symbian LTD in June 1998.
Versions of Symbian OS:
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.
Symbian OS Architecture:
C++ programming language was used to create Symbian OS. The kernel is the fundamental building block of Symbian OS. The Symbian operating system uses a request-and-callback service model, which employs a hard real-time, multithreaded microkernel architecture. The kernel also does preemptive multitasking.
Layers of Symbian OS:
There are several layers of Symbian OS. Some layers of Symbian OS are as follows:
- UI Framework layer: The uppermost layer of the Symbian OS is called the UI Framework layer, which offers the frameworks and libraries needed to build a user interface.
- Application software layer: The second layer of the Symbian operating system is the application software layer, which offers services to applications and other higher-level programs without regard to hardware, software, or user interface. Applications of certain technology, like messaging and multimedia, may constitute services.
- OS service layer: The OS service layer is responsible for providing a framework, servers, and libraries, sometimes referred to as the middleware layer.
- Base service layer: The User Library and File servers are included in this layer, which is the last layer of the Symbian OS.
- Kernel Service layer: The Kernel Services and Hardware Interface layer is the Symbian OS's lowest layer. It contains the operating system's kernel and any supporting components that abstract away the interfaces to the underlying hardware, such as logical and physical device drivers.
Features of Symbian OS:
There are several features of Symbian OS. Some features of Symbian OS are as follows:
- User interface: The Symbian OS graphical user interface was particularly engaging on both smartphones and keypad mobiles.
- Multimedia support: High-quality audio, video playback and recording were additional capabilities of the Symbian OS. Users might also convert photos from one format to another using a supported image conversion capability.
- Security Assistance: One of the most crucial components of Symbian OS was security. It offered a defence against various threats and provided a safe development environment for applications. Device locking was one security feature offered by the Symbian operating system.
- Browser: Opera was already pre-installed as the browser in the first release of Symbian OS. However, a new default browser was eventually created with an improved user interface and quicker performance. That browser was based on the WebKit.
- Connectivity: Bluetooth, wifi, and cellular data are just a few features that Symbian OS offers. Enhancing the connectedness of gadgets with one another improved the user experience.
- Developing applications: Programs for the Symbian OS may be created using a variety of programming languages, and there were many programs available for the Symbian OS, including games and utility apps like calculators.
Advantages of Symbian OS:
There are several advantages of Symbian OS. Some advantages of Symbian OS are as follows:
- Multitasking: The multithreaded kernel EKA2 of the Symbian operating system allowed users to run numerous programs at once.
- Better Battery Life: Symbian devices have excellent power-saving capabilities. The devices' batteries lasted longer, even with more sophisticated features, including a better user interface, multimedia, and web surfing.
- Low Hardware Requirements: Symbian OS may also be used on devices with lower RAM and other resources. Running Symbian OS just required extremely basic hardware.
- Open Source Development: The Symbian operating system was made available as an open-source project, allowing users and developers from across the world to improve it and add new features.
- Third-Party Apps: The Symbian operating system allowed third-party developers to improve the platform's functionality.
- Android mobile devices allow you to carry out numerous programs at once. For instance, you can talk to your friend while listening to music.
- The Play Store is an app store available for Android users. You may download and install a variety of apps for your smartphones from the Google Play store.
- iOS is a great and fluid operating system.
- Compared to Android, iOS produces less heat when processing.
- iOS is the finest platform for both gaming and working.
- iOS provides excellent security.
Disadvantages of Symbian OS:
There are several disadvantages of Symbian OS. Some disadvantages of Symbian OS are as follows:
- Incompatibility with desktop: It was designed exclusively for mobile devices. Hence, it is incompatible with a PC. Desktop devices cannot use it.
- Lower Performance: The Symbian operating system did not perform as well as iOS and Android. Compared to iOS and Android operating systems, it produced sluggish results and needed to be speedier.
- Third-Party Apps: Many third-party apps were available when the Symbian operating system first debuted. Major developers turned to creating apps that would work on iOS and Android as a result of Android and iOS becoming increasingly popular.
- Limited User Interface: In contrast to the user interface of other operating systems like iOS and Android, which was straightforward and appealing to consumers, this UI was very customized and challenging to use.
- Outdated Technology: Symbian OS fell behind iOS and Android in the adoption of new technologies necessary to introduce new functionality. The Symbian operating system has a significant flaw in this regard.
- Dependency on Nokia: Due to Nokia's 2008 acquisition of Symbian Ltd, Symbian OS was significantly dependent on Nokia for its development and upgrade.
- The majority of Android's apps and functionality needed to be connected to the internet. You are unable to view them without an active internet connection.
- The background processing in Android OS is mostly responsible for battery loss.
- Apps on iOS are highly expensive.
- iOS devices only support one SIM.
- Applications for iOS are bigger than those for other mobile platforms.
Decline of Symbian OS:
There are several reasons to decline the Symbian OS. Some of the reasons are as follows:
- Poor Internet Performance: Symbian OS's online experience was quite poor due to the slow internet speed. As a result, third-party apps take a large time to download. On the other side, users of iOS and Android received substantially faster Internet access.
- Reduced Performance: The Symbian operating system's performance was inferior to iOS and Android. Compared to the operating systems for iOS and Android, it produced poor results and needed to be speedier.
- Lack of Third-Party Apps: Symbian OS lagged behind Android and iOS in the drive to embrace cutting-edge technology and introduce new features. It was a serious flaw in the Symbian operating system.
- Dependence on Partners: Due to Nokia's 2008 acquisition of Symbian Ltd., Symbian OS significantly depended on partners like Nokia for its development and upgrade. The adjustments took longer than normal because they required clearance from thousands of its partner firms.
- Lack of profitability: Symbian's operating system could not offer a systematic and well-organized channel for selling or advertising apps. A similar platform didn't exist for Symbian, but it did for Android and iOS.