The mobile phone is not only defined by construction, design and technical specifications. A very important aspect, usually ignored by most users when buying a mobile phone, is represented by the operating system.
The operating system is what gives you freedom in using the phone, or it can also impose limitations in using it. The operating system is the one that makes the difference between regular mobile phones and smartphones.
Happily, unlike Desktops, when it comes to operating systems for mobilephones, we have many options. Although there are very big differences between systems regarding market share, there isn’t a software developer that can dictate the terms on the market, just like Microsoft does on the operating systems for computers market.
Most of the times, the user can choose the mobile phone based on the preferred operating system. This is the ideal situation, but a situation that is not always valid. There are many operating systems that are simply “connected” to a specific brand. In this case, choosing the mobile phone creates a false operating system choice.
The two situations are very diametrically opposed. On one hand, there is the democratic situation in which an operating system is available on multiple brands of mobile phones. In this case the user, which decided on an operating system, is give a choice to choose the best smartphone.
On the other hand, we have the “dictatorship” of manufacturers who impose their own operating system on the phones they release on the market. Manufacturers like Apple have the right to do so, and nobody can say anything.
The best examples of operating systems dependent of the manufacturer are iOS on iPhone and Blackberry OS from RIM. In this list we can also add the Bada system from Samsung, a system in which personally i don’t believe in and i can’t see it last long on the market.
In this case, the choice is reversed. By choosing a mobile phone you automatically choose the manufacturer’s operating system. You don’t have the freedom of choosing your preferred OS.
Independent Operating Systems
These operating systems are guiding themselves based on all the rules of the free market. Their success depends on the functionality they offer and the competition between them leads to progress. It’s very simple: if such an operating system is weak, users will ignore it an phones manufacturers will not install it on their phones. But if the operating system is very good and preferred by the users, most manufacturers will install it on the phones they release.
Currently, we have three important independent operating systems: Symbian from Nokia, Android and Windows Phone ( the former Windows Mobile ).
Until iPhone and Android appeared, the old Symbian was very happy, with no intention of evolving. Apple and Google changed however the status quo and Nokia had to improve their operating system.
Despite the efforts made by Nokia, Symbian is not at the level of iOS and Android. Nokia has a lot of work to do on Symbian, regarding interface but also functionality.
Things are however different regarding Android. Currently, Android is the best operating system for mobile phones on the market, the most updated and most innovative operating system. And not least, it is preferred by most smartphones manufacturers.This also means that Android is also preferred by users.
The third big “player” who’s relaunch we are waiting by the end of this year, is Windows Phone. Just like Symbian, Windows Mobile got a bit rusty over the last few years. For this reason, Microsoft decided to start again from scratch with a new operating system and of course, a new name.
From what we have seen until now, Windows Phone promises quite a lot and seams to be capable of making Microsoft an important player on the mobile operating systems market.
Independent operating systems have another merit: they are saving the mobile phones manufacturers from the trouble of creating their own operating system. And this is good for us, users.
How many times didn’t you stumbled upon a very well built phone but a phone that used a weak operating system? Let’s not mention names, because we all know which they are. This happens because the manufacturer focused on the physical development of the mobile phone and didn’t paid too much importance on the software side.
With an independent operating system, mobile phones manufacturers can focus on the hardware part of the phone, and the operating system is developed by a developer that knows what to do. This way, the software can match the hardware.
Ignoring other things, currently the most modern operating systems are Android from Google and iOs from Apple. It remains to be seen how Windows Phone will come out and if Symbian is going to be resurrected or if Nokia is going to save face with MeeGo or Maemo.
The future of the operating systems should be independent from the manufacturers. With the mentioned exceptions, iPhone and Blackberry, manufacturers that realize that their own operating system is not good enough should focus on solutions like Android or Windows Phone.
