Symbian shows off release 3, chasing Apple
Published: 17 February, 2010
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Symbian could not afford to be silent with all the buzz around the Linux-based mobile operating systems at Barcelona, and its Foundation duly previewed the latest release, Symbian 3, which will be shipped at the end of the first quarter.
Although Symbian 4, due late this year, is touted as the really radical rework, and the first fully open source version, release 3 has a large number of new features - some, like multitouch, important to defend the smartphone lead against Apple and others. Other new elements include music store integration, HDMI output to televisions and other consumer electronics, 2D and 3G graphics acceleration, and enhanced multitasking.
In other words, most of the key foundations of the high end multimedia experience that is driving growth in smartphones and in new formats like tablets. While Nokia, Symbian's largest user, increasingly looks set to use its new MeeGo platform (the merger of its Maemo with Intel's Moblin) for new device types, and very high end handsets, other licensees have been calling for Symbian to catch up rapidly with some advanced by Apple and Google, so they can continue to adopt it for high end phones.
Release 3 certainly looks like a biteback against the view that Symbian will survive mainly as a platform for midrange devices, mass market smartphones and operator customized systems. Although volume growth lies in those areas, and Symbian is well positioned to chase them, its profile and credibility with developers will also depend on continuing to adapt for the multimedia segment.
For Nokia developers, and now Intel Moblin's ecosystem, there is a common apps development environment, the Qt platform acquired by Nokia with Trolltech. This gives a broader base for programmers to tap into.
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