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Do you know that just like desktop PCs or notebooks can be had with different
operating systems, you can also choose a smartphone based on the OS? You have
around nine operating systems to choose from, which even includes the latest
Google OS, called Android. Others include Java, Symbian, UIQ, Windows, Linux,
Palm, Mac OSX (iPhone) and Blackberry. Each of these operating systems is unique
in its operation and features. Performance varies too. The number and types of
applications you can get varies; Symbian Series 60 and Windows Mobile have the
maximum number of apps, followed by Mac OSX.
Java based/Proprietary OSes
Most basic phones employ the Java platform to create a simple and
user-friendly interface. Java is employed because it is highly portable, and an
application written in Java can be used across various phones as long as they
fulfill the basic hardware requirements.
Another reason of using Java is that it rarely hangs or crashes. Almost all
manufacturers have got phones that have Java based OSes. LG, Samsung and Sony
Ericsson being the more prominent manufacturers to create customized
(proprietary) operating systems based on the Java platform.
| Proprietary OS |
 |
 |
 |
Sony Ericsson K850i
Rs 19,500 |
LG KF510
Rs 10,800 |
Samsung Soul
Rs 18,000 |
Symbian
Currently, Symbian is one of the leading operating systems when it comes to
smartphones. Symbian is available in two versions–Series 40 and Series 60.
Series 40 is an optimized OS with basic functionalities to offer, whereas Series
60 is a versatile interface with advanced business, productivity and
entertainment capabilities. It allows multitasking but may get slow if too many
applications are open, depending on the phone hardware. In a sense, you can
compare it with Windows; there are tons of applications available (both free and
paid) which you can install to improve the functionality. Nokia is one of the
major players in Symbian Series 60, followed by Samsung. (The Samsung Innov8 is
the latest Series 60 phone, reviewed in this issue, page 40).
UIQ
The UIQ platform is based on the Symbian platform, but employs a touchscreen
user interface. Like Series 60, Symbian UIQ is highly customizable and allows
3rd party applications to be installed on the device to enhance the
capabilities. UIQ was ideal for people who wanted a touchscreen smartphone/PDA,
but found Windows Mobile too complex. Sony Ericsson is the major player when it
comes to UIQ devices (Nokia briefly sold the dodgy 6708; a rebadged BenQ), but
lately, even Sony Ericsson seems to be losing interest in the platform. Their
newest phone, the Xperia X1 (previewed in this issue, page 42) runs Windows
Mobile 6.1.
| Symbian UIQ |
 |
 |
Sony Ericsson W960i
Rs 24,000 |
Sony Ericsson P1i
Rs 17,000 |
Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile is more or less the same as Windows on a desktop, with the
basic feature-set being the same. It is one of the preferred OS for business use
because of its advanced office document editing, Internet and push email
capabilities. There are lots of players in the Windows Mobile segment such as
HTC, O2, i-Mate, Samsung, Motorola and now Sony Ericsson.
| Windows
Mobile |
 |
 |
 |
Samsung Omnia
Rs 38,000 (8GB |
HTC Touch Diamond
Rs 25,000 |
Sony Ericsson Xperia X1
Rs 38,000 (expected) |
Linux
Linux is an open-source platform and therefore phones incorporating Linux
are generally available at a lower price point. Motorola is one of the major
players when it comes to Linux-based phones (with the RAZR2, ROKR E6 etc).
Recently Openmoko has entered into the scene with its FreeRunner phone that
provides users with an ability to debug the OS and modify it as per their
convenience.
Blackberry
Developed by RIM (Reliance in Motion), the Blackberry OS runs on a
completely different platform that is optimized for wireless email. The user
interface is mainly graphical and enables efficient multitasking.
|
Blackberry |
 |
 |
 |
| Blackberry 8320 Rs 24,000 |
Blackberry Bold Rs 35,000 |
Blackberry 8120 Rs 18,000 |
MAC OS X
Developed by Apple, OS X is the OS that you will find specifically on an
iPhone. Based on the MAC OS X, this operating system enables quick navigation
and smooth animations because of the core architecture of the OS. Currently only
Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch flaunt this OS.
| MAC OSX |
 |
Apple iPhone
Rs 31,000 (8 GB), Rs 35,000(16 GB) |
Android
Android is an OS developed by Google for mobile phones. It is based on the
Linux kernel and uses Google developed Java libraries. So far, HTC is the only
manufacturer to have released a phone with Android OS running on it, but
currently it is not available in India.
|
Android |
 |
HTC T-Mobile G1
TBA |
Palm OS
It is an OS developed mainly for PDAs by Palm Inc. Widely considered one of
the most stable OSes, it can be credited as being the gran-daddy of all
smartphones.
| Palm |
 |
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Palm Centro
Rs 14,000 |
Palm Treo 680 Rs 14,500 |
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