One of the most long running Operating Systems for the mobile phone industry, Symbian continues to be one of the top OS for smart phones. Closely linked to Nokia’s development since the 1990s, versions of Symbian have been in place since 1997, and has been gradually expanded. Symbian has been a part of Nokia since 2008, and continues to be a key part of the mobile company’s product development, despite recent switches to Windows 7 OS systems.

Symbians strengths have historically been in its longevity and resilience to the changing smartphone market, with more recent Nokia Symbian Belleinterfaces competing with Apple’s iOS, Androidand Windows platforms. Symbian has also reinforced its strengths by committing to open source development and third party collaboration. Some of these strengths are expanded on below, and demonstrate why Symbian is still the top smart phone OS.

 8 Reasons Why Symbian Is Still The Top Mobile OS

8 Reasons Why Symbian Is Still The Top Mobile OS


1. Long Term Use and Reliability


Symbian has evolved with the smart phone market, but has also retained its core coding strengths. Over a hundred million phones worldwide use Symbian, making it one of the most ubiquitous pieces of software available. Recent switches to standard C++ coding have also made Symbian more reliable and compatible with different apps, which have helped Symbian remain valuable for different Nokia interfaces.

2. Open Source Strengths


Symbian and Nokia were some of the first mobile companies to recognise the need to make much of its software development and customisation open source. Symbian have particularly made an effort since 2008 to develop Eclipse Public License schemes, although the extent of this open source licensing has been somewhat less successful than first planned. However, partial code repository and community development make Symbian one of the most flexible OS options.

3. Multi Tasking


Symbian is defined by its micro kernel system, which allows phones to handle a range of different tasks simultaneously, and allows for efficient threading and system optimisation. One of the first phones to develop multi tasking as a core feature of usage, Symbian’s use in Nokia smartphones allows the brand to handle extensive programs without draining battery life.

4. Mobile Specification


Symbian’s long history as a mobile OS gives it the advantage of much greater specification to the platform than more recent OS choices. In this way, Symbian is able to act as a flexible base for smart phone development, and remains a crucial entry and customisation option.

5. Low Memory Demands


Symbian is particularly strong at being able to optimise tasks without slowing down a phone’s performance and memory. Particular strengths are found in terms of its optimisation of RAM, as well as its management of errors and clean up issues within a phone.

6. Shared Standards


As one of the most widely used mobile OS’s, Symbian is designed to be as accessible as possible, while still being a proprietary system. The switch to standard C++ has particularly helped this process.

7. Security


The popularity of Symbian also means that the OS is dedicated to providing enhanced security. Various useful apps and other anti virus and malware products are ready available for Symbian, as is extensive tech support.

8. Future


Symbian<’s continuing success will arguably build from the OS’s stable base around the world. Connections to Nokia are changing in terms of the manufacturer’s experimentation with Windows Phone platforms, but with the caveat that Symbian enabled phones and handsets are going to be a crucial part of the company’s distribution into 2016.
 
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