Open Source Symbian

I recently discussed the future of open source software. In a related development, Nokia has announced plans to move into the open-source space.

Although the Symbian operating system is not currently open source, Nokia has publicly announced that it will soon be released under the Eclipse Public License.

It is interesting to speculate how the open-source community will react to Symbian over the next few years. Symbian has been a dominant force in the mobile market for over a decade, at one point competing strongly with Windows Mobile. However, with shifting market dynamics and the rise of new challengers like Android and iPhone OS, Symbian appears to be in decline. In terms of data processing, functionality, and performance, it is starting to lag behind these newer platforms.

Once the system is open-sourced, Nokia may take a hands-off approach, allowing the community to drive its development. Developers might fork the project to create a new mobile operating system, or perhaps Symbian’s legacy will simply fade away.

Ultimately, aside from mobile enthusiasts, few users care about the underlying operating system. Symbian focused on the smartphone market, which remains a niche compared to the broader mobile phone market. I recall a report from the year 2000 stating there were 200 million users, with Symbian predicting growth to 400 million by Q2-Q3 of that year—a target that proved to be overly ambitious.

Symbian has fulfilled its mission. It has achieved the functionality its designers originally envisioned, but its roadmap seems to have reached its end.