The predecessor of the Symbian operating system was the EPOC operating system from the British company Psion, with the concept of designing a simple and practical mobile phone operating system. Although Symbian is based on EPOC, its architecture includes features such as multitasking, multithreading, and memory protection. Memory saving and stack clearing in Symbian can effectively reduce resource consumption, and this technology is also applied to phone memory and storage cards. Symbian programming uses event-driven programming; when applications do not process events, the CPU is turned off, making the Symbian system very power-efficient. These technologies make C++ development on Symbian very complex. However, many Symbian devices also support development using Python, QT, and J2ME.\Historical Versions\Symbian 5.0 was launched in March 1999, integrating networking, wireless texting, email, contact book, and personal information assistant, as well as a browser that supports standard web pages. With Java support, Symbian could run small J2ME programs.\Symbian 6.0 added support for voice calls, GPRS, WAP1.2 browser, and Bluetooth technology, enhancing communication security. This system is a 16-bit operating system, and users can run programs developed in C++ and J2ME. Later, Symbian 6.1 added support for USB.\Symbian 7.0 supports multiple network modes and 3G networks.\Symbian 8.0 improved real-time system performance and enhanced compatibility. This version also included multimedia and Java devices, supporting various standards including JSR118, CLDC1.1 (JSR139), MobileMedia (JSR135), 3D graphics data (JSR184), JTWI 1.0 c (JSR185), and SDIO.\Symbian 9.0 was launched in February 2005, supporting higher resolution cameras and 3D graphics, capable of handling 2-megapixel images, supporting wireless headphones, and allowing direct file copying from a computer via USB.\Historical Development\During the development of Symbian, three branches appeared: Crystal, Pearl, and Quartz. The first two mainly targeted the communicator market and were the most common on phones, serving as the main force of smartphone operating systems. The first phone based on the Symbian system was an Ericsson phone released in 2000. The truly mature version that drew attention was the Nokia 9210, released in 2001, which used the Crystal branch system.The Nokia 7650 and 3650, launched in 2002, were models of the Symbian Pearl series. Among them, the 7650 was the first smartphone based on 2.5G networks, and both belonged to Symbian version 6.0. A model launched by Sony Ericsson also used the Symbian Pearl branch, with the version developed to 7.0, specifically designed for 3G networks, representing the most powerful mobile operating system at that time. Additionally, Symbian started supporting external storage devices such as MMC and CF cards from version 6.0, fully demonstrating its strong expansion capabilities, making it possible to store more software and various large-capacity multimedia files.\In 1980, David Potter founded Psion. In 1998, with the joint cooperation of Ericsson, Nokia, Motorola, and Psion, Symbian Ltd. was established. In 1999, Symbian Ltd. launched the Symbian OS v5.x operating system. In 2000, the world's first Symbian system phone, the Ericsson R380, was officially released.\In 2001, Symbian Ltd. launched Symbian OS v6.x. In 2003, v7.x was released, and one of the founders, Motorola, withdrew from Symbian Ltd. In 2004, v8.x was launched, and in 2005 it was upgraded to v9.x.\In 2006, the global total of Symbian phones reached 100 million units. In 2008, Nokia acquired Symbian Ltd., making Symbian an exclusive system for Nokia.\In 2009, major manufacturers such as LG and Sony Ericsson announced their withdrawal from the Symbian platform, turning to new system areas. By 2010, only Nokia continued to support Symbian.\In March 2011, Symbian was rumored to be 'open source' and was later renamed Nokia Belle. In November, Symbian's global market share dropped to 22.1%, and its dominance had been completely replaced by Android, while in the Chinese market, the share fell to 23%. On December 21, Nokia announced the discontinuation of the Symbian brand.\2012\According to user feedback, Symbian system phones (including the latest 808 still using the Symbian name)\On February 7, 2012, the Nokia N8, Nokia E7, Nokia X7, Nokia C6-01, Nokia C7, Nokia 500, Nokia E6, and Nokia Oro could upgrade to the new Symbian Belle via suite or local Nokia after-sales service.\On April 12, 2012, the Nokia 603, Nokia 700, Nokia 701, and Nokia 808 received updates: Symbian Belle Feature Pack 1 (version number 112.010.1404). At the same time, Nokia also provided a streamlined version of the Belle FP1 update to the above models (excluding the Nokia 500).On August 27, 2012, the Belle Refresh update was pushed to the NOKIA N8, E7, C7, C6-01, X7, and Oro, with version number 111.040.1511. The NOKIA E6 (version number 111.140.0058) will receive the update later this week. NOKIA 500 users may still need to wait a few more weeks.
On January 7, 2013, it was well known that the Nokia 808 was a camera powerhouse with a 41-megapixel camera, running the Symbian Belle system. This device received a firmware update from Nokia in January 2013. The firmware update version was 113.010.1508, and at 420MB, the firmware seemed to suggest that Nokia would make a significant upgrade to the model. However, in reality, it did not bring any substantial new features. This firmware upgrade was only aimed at making the overall operation of the Nokia 808 PureView faster and smoother.
On January 24, 2013, Nokia announced during its financial results call that the Nokia 808 would be the last Symbian phone. After 12 years of development, the Symbian system finally came to an end.
On June 12, 2013, Nokia announced that it would stop shipping Symbian smartphones this summer and fully switch to the Microsoft Windows Phone platform. This move by Nokia signaled the end of the Symbian platform.
Market Competition
The Symbian operating system once competed with Windows Mobile, Palm OS, webOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and others, while Windows Mobile, Palm OS, and webOS had already lost market share. iOS and Android then took advantage of the gap to occupy the vast majority of the market share. Symbian was forced to compete with embedded operating systems used in lower-end phones, which were often developed independently by various manufacturers. Compared with embedded operating systems, Symbian's advantage lay in its standardization — each program on the device could call dynamic shared libraries (Shared Libraries) at runtime and had an installable architecture (allowing software installation). These features allowed more complex phones to be developed relatively quickly, sometimes offsetting some of the difficulties of Symbian C++.
Compared with open-source operating systems like Linux and non-open systems like Windows Mobile, Symbian's advantages were more controversial. Mobile manufacturers and network operators preferred Symbian for its customization flexibility while devaluing Windows CE, even though this flexibility made integrating Symbian phones more difficult.The limitations of the Symbian system on hardware architecture and its cumbersome application signing authorization have also left it struggling in competition with new-generation operating systems such as Android. Due to poor support for emerging social networks and Web 2.0 content, Symbian's share of the smartphone market has been shrinking. Its market share declined year by year from 72.8% in the third quarter of 2006 to 37.6% in the third quarter of 2010. Since the end of 2009, major manufacturers such as Motorola, Samsung Electronics, LG, and Sony Ericsson have announced the termination of Symbian platform development, turning instead to the Android field. In early 2011, Nokia announced a strategic alliance with Microsoft to launch smartphones based on Windows Phone, thereby abandoning the years-long operation of Symbian. Symbian's phase-out had become inevitable.
Application Quantity
According to Nokia Ovi, as of August 2012, there were a total of 130,000 usable applications and games on the Nokia Symbian system (including Symbian S60 and S40). However, Nokia recommended developers shift to developing Windows Phone programs.
Development Prospects
Some media reported that Nokia would completely abandon the Symbian platform after 2014, which disappointed many Symbian fans. However, Nokia's official Weibo quickly came forward to clarify, stating that Symbian would continue to be supported until 2016. The Weibo post reads: "Nokia's commitment to the Symbian platform has not changed. In the past 12 months, we have released several new Symbian smartphones, including the recently award-winning Nokia 808 PureView. We have also brought multiple Symbian system upgrades, including NFC functionality, Microsoft's mobile Office applications, and support for the latest Dolby audio technology. In fact, in the coming weeks, we will provide more Symbian system updates. As we previously promised, we will continue to support Symbian at least until 2016."
End of Symbian
Nokia announces the cessation of Symbian system development and the production of Symbian phones.
According to foreign websites, Nokia pointed out in the company's financial report released today that the Nokia 808 PureView launched last year would be the company's last phone based on the Symbian system, marking the official announcement of Symbian's end by Nokia. The company stated: "In 2012, as we transitioned to Windows Phone, we continued to sell Symbian system phones. However, the 808 PureView launched last year will be our last Symbian phone.""The tech community has long rumored that PureView is Nokia's final work on the Symbian system. At the same time, the industry also wildly speculated that PureView imaging technology would transition to Lumia phones.\Nokia's financial report released today shows that in the fourth fiscal quarter of 2012, 2.2 million Symbian phones were sold, only half the number of Lumia phones, accounting for less than 14% of Nokia's total smartphone shipments (15.9 million).\Before the rise of the Apple platform, Symbian was the leading smartphone platform. However, currently, Symbian phones only account for 2.6% of total phone shipments, while Android reaches 72%. Part of this gap is due to sluggish demand. Data shows that the sales of Symbian phones in Greater China have declined particularly sharply, with net sales decreasing by 69% year-on-year. On the other hand, Nokia has ceased deep development of Symbian phones, and both R&D and marketing expenses have been significantly cut.\Although everyone knew that this day would come sooner or later, when it really arrived, everyone still sighed deeply.\The aging Symbian can no longer keep up with new systems, and finally fell today.\At this moment, on January 24, 2013, Nokia confirmed in its 2012 fourth-quarter financial report that the 808 PureView is the last Symbian system phone; Symbian is dead. With the cherished memories of a generation of players, a glorious era has thus come to an end.\In Finland, there are still some customers using Symbian phones, and third-party developed software still needs updates. Publishing Symbian software requires a signature. It seems that certificates required for signatures can only be renewed abroad, while domestic companies in China were reportedly not issuing certificates after October 2013.\Although Symbian is already dead, due to new operating systems being applicable to touchscreen phones, and back when Symbian was the leading operating system, keyboard phones were popular, and Symbian's performance on keyboard phones was outstanding, it is not suitable for touchscreen phones, which many users likely experienced when using Symbian on touchscreen devices. However, when it comes to the most powerful operating system for keyboard phones, Symbian is still the leader!\Nokia Store will no longer accept Symbian and MeeGo apps\On October 8, 2013, Nokia sent an email to developers announcing that the Nokia Store will no longer accept new applications or updates for Symbian and MeeGo systems."This policy will take effect from January 1, 2014, which means that developers will no longer be able to publish new apps in the Nokia Store, nor provide updates for existing apps. Of course, users of Nokia's Symbian and MeeGo devices will also be affected. However, existing Symbian and MeeGo apps in the app store will continue to be available for download. Nokia stated that the company's focus will be entirely on the Windows Phone and Asha platforms and advised Symbian and MeeGo developers to transition to these two platforms for development to gain more opportunities. When Nokia abandoned MeeGo in 2011 and Symbian in 2012, Symbian was once the king of smartphone operating systems, and MeeGo's Swipe UI almost redefined swipe gestures. For the Windows Phone system and the Asha platform, the Nokia Store will continue to provide strong support. Nokia's future strategic core will shift to these two platforms. At the same time, Nokia wants to use this email to remind Symbian and MeeGo developers to move to the new platforms as soon as possible, as there will be more development opportunities there. Although Nokia has officially stopped supporting Symbian and MeeGo, a large portion of software will still circulate on major app download websites and forums, so users of these two systems do not need to worry too much about being unable to download commonly used apps. Sigh...
