Symbian: Past Dominance and Future Prospects in Mobile OS Ecosystem
Symbian is a mobile operating system that has seen both significant growth and decline in its market share. Although it currently represents a dominant player in the feature phone market with its Series 40 and Series 45 variants, its future in the realm of smartphones is becoming increasingly uncertain. This article delves into the current usage statistics, technical capabilities, and future prospects of the Symbian OS.
Current Usage and Dominance in the Feature Phone Market
At present, Symbian's Series 40 and Series 45 platforms are the most widely used mobile operating systems in the feature phone category. With their robust base, these platforms are used by more people than any other phone OS, making them the leading choice for budget-conscious consumers and those who require basic mobile functionalities. Despite its success, the feature phone market is facing a decline due to the increasing popularity of smartphones with richer features and better web browsing capabilities.
The Shift to Smartphones and Technical Capabilities
While feature phone OSs like Symbian have a significant user base, the shift towards more powerful smartphone OSs has been a dominant trend. These newer operating systems, such as Android and iPhone's iOS, offer superior web browsing, more advanced OS features, and a broader range of applications. As a result, the demand for Symbian-based feature phones is waning.
Symbian's Evolving Ecosystem: Series 60 and Meego
However, Symbian has not entirely disappeared from the smartphone market. It offers two options: Series 60, which have been rebranded as Symbian^3 for touch-based devices, and its upcoming OS, Meego. These operating systems represent the future directions of Symbian, with Series 60 aiming to provide touch capabilities and Meego offering advanced features for sophisticated smartphones.
Current State and Future Expectations
While working at Symbian, I observed the development and shipping of the Series 60 OS. Although Nokia eventually placed its future technological bets on Meego, a new OS from a collaboration between Intel and Nokia, it's important to note that there are still numerous S60 phones being released this year. The large installed base of Series 60 phones suggests a substantial user base that will continue to support these devices for some time.
However, Nokia's strong push towards Meego can be interpreted as a strategic move away from S60, implying a likely decline for S60 in the near future. Furthermore, the Meego OS, while promising and innovative, has yet to ship on a major product, leading to its current small user base.
Conclusion: The Future of Symbian
In conclusion, although Symbian currently enjoys substantial usage, particularly in the feature phone market, its path to continued success in the smartphone realm is unclear. The future looks murky for Series 60, while the potential for Meego remains to be seen. For now, Symbian continues to maintain a sizeable user base, but its long-term viability in the competitive mobile OS landscape is uncertain.