Symbian today publicly launched its fully integrated, open software platform that has already been widely licensed by industry leading handset manufacturers for next generation mobile phones. The Symbian platform v6.0 is optimised for pen- and keyboard based Communicators, delivering integrated mobile phone technology with email, SMS, WAP, HTML and other messaging and browsing capabilities to suit all types of end-user -- consumers, professional or enterprise. Products from licensees based on the Symbian platform v6.0 are expected to ship during the first half of 2001.
The Symbian platform provides core compatibility for third-party applications, content and services. Symbian provides reference designs based around common Generic Technology components that provide powerful and robust services-- the multi-tasking EPOC kernel, data management, communications, graphics, multimedia, security, application engines, messaging engine, browser engines for WAP and HTML, Java(TM) runtime environment, and support for data synchronization and worldwide locales. These reference designs are licensed to leading handset and mobile computing manufacturers to enable them to rapidly bring to market next generation mobile phones.
Two reference designs - with fully integrated voice capabilities central to their design and optimised for different form factors, have been released today:
-- Keyboard communicators: code named `Crystal',
and shown for
the first time at the Symbian
Developer Expo. This reference
design is for mobile phone
devices with 640x200 color screen,
keyboard operation, a graphical
user interface evolved from
previous keyboard communicators
and a rich, integrated,
application suite optimised for
mobile professionals.
-- Tablet communicators: code named `Quartz'
and previewed
earlier this year. This
reference design is for devices with
240x320 color screen, pen
operation, a new user-friendly
graphical interface, and
powerful integrated application
suite. Combining all the
features of a hand-held PDA with a
phone, Quartz offers easy and
attractive viewing of rich
media data and information.
"Symbian's goal is to set standards and create a mass market for Wireless
Information Devices. Voice is still the killer application at the heart of these
devices, and with our open software platform we're driving the development of
next generation mobile phones by enabling third party companies to deliver
additional applications, services and content." said Colly Myers, CEO of
Symbian. "We've already seen the first Symbian-based Smartphone enter the
market - the Ericsson R380. Now at our second European Developers Expo we're
showing for the first time our full versions of our Communicator reference
designs, and unveiling the keyboard-based communicator reference design code
named `Crystal'. Targeted at the mobile professional market, Crystal offers
unparalleled computing and mobile phone integration, based on technology that's
core to all Symbian based Wireless Information Devices."
"Nokia is delighted to see that Symbian is now releasing the platform v6.0 with fully integrated mobile Internet technologies and robust stand alone personal information management applications. The v6.0 platform is the one on which Nokia will be building its first Symbian based products. We also warmly welcome the introduction of the Crystal reference design, which is naturally Nokia's choice for its future Communicator category products", said Jouko Hayrynen, Vice President, Markets and Business Development, Nokia Mobile Phones.
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