Mobile Leaders To Unify The Symbian Software Platform
Posted by xell | June 24th, 2008 
It has to be one of the most surprising news these days: The Big 5 coorporate.
Nokia today announced plans to acquire the remaining shares of Symbian Limited that Nokia does not already own and then contribute the Symbian and S60 software to the Symbian Foundation. Sony Ericsson and Motorola will contribute technology from UIQ, DOCOMO has also indicated its willingness to contribute its MOAP(S) assets. From these contributions, the Foundation will provide a unified platform with common UI framework. A full platform will be available for all Foundation members under a royalty-free license, from the Foundation’s first day of operations.
The annual membership fee is a bargain of 1.500$.
Plans are to get the thing rollin’ on the first half of 2009 with an expected complete framework in 2010.
Make sure you tune in to the live webcast here at 11:00 GMT.
While waiting, have a further look at the press release here and the Symbian Foundation website with the whitepaper here.
Filed under: Announcement, Corporative, Future, Operating platform, UIQ
(6 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)
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:eek !!!
I’m shocked!!
so I’m really curios about what’s the future for symbian phones..
8:47 am on 6/24/08I’m shocked, too! It sounds like an awesome idea, it really does. Can’t wait to see what this will bring!
8:51 am on 6/24/08This will make a huge unified maket
8:59 am on 6/24/08This could be one of the best cellular-related news this decade. By unifying what benefits from being standardized, the various vendors could focus on uniqueness that counts for the user.
If this eventually could lead to one universal charging solution (micro-usb?), one memory card standard (micro SD?) and possibly a few standard sizes for batteries, it’d really be the dawn of a new era.
Security will be more needed than ever though, since standardization equally benefits virus makers as well.
10:11 am on 6/24/08Mass production of the cheap phones is here!
10:20 am on 6/24/08Nokia again contribute to reliable phoneing!
Daniel_W, it’s not about hardware standarts, but about unified software.
News are great! I think it’s everything made to be able to compete with another huge platforms, including coming Android.
1:45 pm on 6/24/08Actually they are afraid of Google’s Andriod,
3:37 pm on 6/24/08As you all know the smartest, most creative and highly talented are all in google
Does anybody know who’s going to develop the new UI for symbian?
7:22 pm on 6/24/08El reg has a good opinion piece on this at
10:05 pm on 6/24/08http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/06/24/andrew_on_symbian/
I’m all for consistency and standardization–so, awesome, says I.
10:28 pm on 6/24/08I hate it. Sense of belongingness is gone. I adored UiQ over its technical superiority over S60. But its gone. Everything is Nokia now. I am afraid, but I wont buy any UiQ based device now. I absolutly hate anything Nokia!!
11:10 pm on 6/24/08This is exactly what I was afraid of, that Nokia is going to develop the UI…
6:13 am on 6/25/08Indeed, I’m affraid that “standartdization” will mean lower the standards to match Nokia’s…
8:00 am on 6/25/08I like that idea very much, the nokia always manufactured best phones.
10:42 am on 6/25/08WTF? Im sure Nokia and Sony Ericsson will develop their OWN user interface but just the core of it will be the same. Similar to HTC having Touch Flo 3D and Sony Ericsson having those panels in X1. They will definately differentiate themselves in my opinion.
11:05 am on 6/25/08I guess, cancelling of beibei and p5i based on symbian and seperate line launch of Xperia X1 seems to be a very good step by SE to remove dependancy on “symbian of Nokia”
5:30 pm on 6/25/08Finally!!
9:06 pm on 6/26/08Nokia takes the full control of serious phone production!