| Programming Symbian OS is a key skill for mass market phone application development. Whether you are developing a
services for shipping mobile phones, or involved in pre-market mobile phone development, this book will help you unde
fundamental theory behind developing Symbian OS C++ code for constrained devices.
• A collaborative book, incorporating the expertise of over 30 Symbian engineers in its writing
• Comprehensive coverage of the Symbian OS suitable for programming Nokia & Sony Ericsson systems and any
based smartphone
• Also provides supporting material for v.6 and v.6 phones
The success of an open operating system for smartphones is closely linked to the degree to which the functionality of lower levels of software and hardware can be accessed, modified, and augmented by add-on software and hardware. As Symbian OS smartphones ship in volume, we are witnessing the arrival of a third wave of mobile phones.
The first wave was voice-centric mobile phones. Mobile phone manufacturers have performed wonders of optimization on the core feature of these phones – their ability to provide great voice communications.
Successive generations of products improved their portability, battery life, reliability, signal handling, voice quality, ergonomics, price, and usability. In the process, mobile phones became the most successful consumer electronics product in history.
The second wave was rich-experience mobile phones. Instead of just conveying voice conversations between mouth and ear, these phones provided a much richer sensory experience than their predecessors. High-resolution color screens conveyed data vividly and graphically. High-fidelity audio systems played quality music through such things as ringtones and audio files. These phones combined multimedia with information and communications, to dramatic effect.
But the best was still to come. The primary characteristic of the third wave of mobile phones is their openness. Openness is an abstract concept, but one with huge and tangible consequences for developers. The key driver is that the growing on-board intelligence in modern phones – the smartness of the hardware and software – can now be readily accessed by add-on hardware and software. The range of applications and services that can be used on a phone is not fixed at the time of manufacture, meaning new applications and services can be added afterwards. The phone can be tailored by an operator to suit its customers and these customers can then add further customizations, reflecting specific needs or interests. |
