Symbian

Questions on Symbian Mobile Operating System

Jan 14 • Resources • 4567 Views • 8 Comments on Questions on Symbian Mobile Operating System

Q1. What is Symbian?
Answer: Symbian OS is a modular system, and licensees who build products with it are expected to add, remove, and in some cases, modify, components. This means that Symbian OS software written for one phone may or may not be compatible with another phone. Symbian is a mobile OS, used in Smartphone and currently owned by Accenture. Symbian Ltd. originally developed it.

 

Q2. What are the key features of Symbian OS?
Answer:  There are following key features-

  • Performance – Symbian OS is designed to make minimal demands on batteries and to have low memory.
  • Multitasking – telephony and universal messaging are fundamental components. All applications are designed to work seamlessly in parallel.
  • Standards – the use of technologies based on agreed-upon standards is a basic principle of Symbian OS, ensuring that applications are robust, portable, and interoperable.
  • Object-oriented software architecture.
  • Memory management optimized for embedded software environment.
  • Runtime memory requirements are minimized – very small executable sizes and ROM-based code that executes in place.
  • Security mechanisms for enabling secure communications and safe data storage.
  • Application support for international environment with built-in Unicode character sets.
  • A rich and varied API allowing access to reusable components in developer applications.

 

Q3. List some Symbian Phones?
Answer: There are following Symbian Phones:-

  • Nokia 808 PureView
  • Nokia 603
  • Nokia 700
  • Nokia 500
  • Nokia E6 00
  • Nokia 701
  • Nokia N8
  • Nokia C5
  • Nokia X7 00
  • Nokia C5 03

 

Q4. What is Symbian OS generic technology structure?
Answer:  The system kernel, file Server, memory management and device drivers are located in the “Base” Operating System layer. Symbian uses microkernel approach. The kernel manages system resources such as memory and is responsible for time-slicing the applications and system tasks. Device drivers provide the control and interface to specific items of hardware—the keyboard, display, infrared port and so on.

The upper layers of the system provide communication and extensive computing services, such as TCP/IP, IMAP4, SMS and database management. Symbian OS components provide data management, communications, graphics, multimedia, security, personal information management (PIM) application engines, messaging engine, Bluetooth, browser engines and support for data synchronization and internationalization.

Q5. What are the various versions of Symbian OS?
Answer:  There are following versions of Symbian OS:-

 

Q6. What are the features of Belle?
Answer:  Belle(October 2011) came out on the Nokia 700, 603 and 701. It has a  huge update for existing Symbian^3 generation devices. It brought a major reworking of the user interface, with an emphasis on-

  • Ease of use and flatter navigation hierarchy.
  • A new RAM management scheme.
  • Full NFC ‘tap to …’ functionality (where supported by the hardware).
  • Variable-sized widgets.
  • Up to six home screens.
  • A drop-down notifications and settings pane.
  • A ‘flat’ application launcher by default.
  • Big face lifts for Camera and Music player.

 Click to watch the first look of Symbian Belle:
Symbian Belle

Q7. In what languages are Symbian Operating Systems developed?
Answer: Symbian OS is developed in following languages-

 

Q8. What kernel does Symbian OS have?
Answer:  The kernel is EKA2 and follows Micro Kernel Architecture.

 

Q9. On what design principles is Symbian based?
Answer:  Symbian OS was created with three systems design principles in mind-

  • the integrity and security of user data is paramount.
  • user time must not be wasted.
  • all resources are scarce.

Q10. What are the harmful viruses that can effect Symbian OS?
Answer:  Following viruses are identified as najor threat to Symbian OS:-

  • Drever-A is a malicious SIS file trojan that attempts to disable the automatic startup from Simworks and Kaspersky Symbian Anti-Virus applications.
  • Locknut-B is a malicious SIS file trojan that pretends to be a patch for Symbian S60 mobile phones. When installed, it dropsa binary that will crash a critical system service component. This will prevent any application from being launched in the phone.
  • Mabir-A is basically Cabir with added MMS functionality. The two are written by the same author, and the code shares many similarities. It spreads using Bluetooth via the same routine as early variants of Cabir.
  • Cabir-As Mabir.A activates, it will search for the first phone it finds, and starts sending copies of itself to that phone.

 

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8 Responses to Questions on Symbian Mobile Operating System

  1. Rachita Mishra says:

    This is about mobile operating system, also referred to as mobile OS, is the operating system that operates a smartphone, tablet, PDA, or other digital mobile devices. Modern mobile operating systems combine the features of a personal computer operating system with a touchscreen, cellular, Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS mobile navigation, camera, video camera, speech recognition, voice recorder, music player, Near field communication, Infrared Blaster, and other features.

  2. Hardik Sanghvi says:

    About to be outdated… Bt for intersted people good material collection… v have varios newer platforms…

  3. Pallavi sinha says:

    Symbian provides mobile operating system designed mainly for smartphones……….this article is valuable and appreciating chk this out

  4. arpitasardar25 says:

    This article is quite informative to know about Symbian Mobile Operating System…

  5. Shaheen Khan says:

    Some basic Information of Symbian OS & its brief idea is present here. This blog is cover some good ques related to symbian OS is related here.

  6. Divya Acharya says:

    it is an useful,informative post for getting knowledge about SYMBIAN OS.

  7. BHarti PaNdey says:

    Helpful Post providing full insight on SYMBIAN OS.

    • Sougata Bhattacharya says:

      Advantages of Symbian OS
      •Operating system designed from scratch for mobile platforms
      •The platform has to be open to enable independent technology and software vendors to develop third-party applications, technologies and services
      •Best fitted for mobile market
      •Great market share
      Limitations of Symbian OS
      •Developing in general
      •Symbian signed
      •Dependency on Nokia (!)
      Why nokia using Windows instead of Symbian??
      Nokia is a leading company and they had been using Symbian OS for a long time. But now they prefer the new and latest Windows OS which is superior with the features it can offer. The last Symbian Phone has been Nokia Pure view 808. Symbian was the foundation step for Android. It gave information of how to use graphics in a phone which was gradually expanded to form what we now call android. Symbian had been stopped for a while as it is now no longer used and its popularity has gone down over the years. Now Nokia prefers to use Windows Software which will get better every year.

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