Linux set to overtake Symbian by 2010 says Trolltech
By Stefan Constantinescu on Friday, December 1st, 2006 at 1:56 AM PST In Financial/Corporate News
But Trolltech, which specialises in software that runs on embedded Linux devices, is convinced that by 2010 mobile Linux will overtake Symbian in the mobile OS market, with Windows Mobile also expected to show strong growth.
The company pointed out that mobile Linux already accounted for 22% of all smart phones in 2005, up from just 5% in 2004, while Symbian’s share slipped from 81% in the same period.
Trolltech acknowledged that the majority of Linux devices are currently sold in the Asian markets, particularly in Japan and China, while Europe has yet to really latch onto the OS not least because of Nokia (NYSE: NOK)’s support for Symbian. In addition, Linux phones makers are still dealing with issues such as power management, memory and speed.
But the Oslo-based company believes that the open nature of Linux will attract increasing numbers of handset makers and developers, and quoted Motorola (NYSE: MOT) as saying that more than 50% of its handsets would be based on mobile Linux in the next two years.
Source: TMC Net
You know if I had to live with a mobile that contained the same operating system as my friends Motorola RAZR I would go batshit insane. Period. I’ll have to play with this Linux OS for phones before I can truely comment on it, but if Motorola really said that then one has to ask … what’s so good about this Linux mobile platform?
Nokia is already testing Linux out, just look at the 770. I wonder if they too plan to move to Linux, but then I have to ask … what about Symbian? What I’m REALLY curious to see is what ALP (Access Linux Platform) does with their recent purchase of the Palm (NSDQ: PALM) OS. Frankly the best mobile OS I’ve ever used is Palm. If you took the stability, and multitasking capability of Symbian mated it to the ease of use of Palm you would have a genuine winner on your hands.
I hope this predictions would be true.
“You know if I had to live with a mobile that contained the same operating system as my friends Motorola RAZR I would go batshit insane.”
I don’t see how this has anything to do with mobile linux, considering RAZR uses the motorola proprietary “P2K” OS(new razr line will probably include linux though).
What I’m saying is anything is better than that OS, and there is a reason Motorola is switching to Linux. That reason must be either a better user experience or reduced cost.
mopex: we will just have to wait and see
Motorola really *does* appear to be serious about Linux. Their popular Ming smartphone is Linux, as it the just released SCPL (successor to the RAZR). But like you, Stefan, I’m most looking forward to seeing a next-generation version of the Palm OS running on a Linux kernel. While the ACCESS Linux Platform is the presumed successor and looks very promising from what I saw at LinuxWorld in August, there’s also another possible contender for the Palm OS on Linux crown: Palm themselves. See:
http://www.pikesoft.com/blog/index.php?itemid=105
and
http://www.pikesoft.com/blog/index.php?itemid=60
Then let me know what you think!
Very interesting articles indeed, all I have to those pieces is I guess we just have to wait and see what happens and what gets released by both parties. Personally I’m not into the stylus method for a user interface, as a data input device it’s fine. Don’t let that confuse you tho, I love to touch.
I know that you can touch the screens of Treo’s but the OS really was built around the notion that you use that blasted pen instrument. This is why I’m highly interested in the Nokia Internet Tablet, as well as tablet PC’s in general.
After having my E61 however, I can tell you this, I won’t be buying another smartphone unless it has wifi.