[Industry Discussion] Nokia Asha vs. Symbian - Will Symbian Live On?

im_to_hyper · Jan 1, 2014

What will the fate of Symbian be in 2014 and beyond now that Nokia has given up the ghost with that operating system? It was a fairly decent OS (snappy on my 603) and I was oddly into the T9 keyboard options.

Will other companies use it? Is it able to be ported to other devices?

I'm really curious. Nokia didn't seem to want to milk the Symbian cow and even let developers update their Symbian apps, and doesn't use the device in any mid-range devices!

How does the Asha OS compare? I noticed that it supposedly has Angry Birds and other apps. I'm confused, as I thought it was a "dumbphone" OS.

Not sure where else to go for answers to these questions, so thanks for answering and debating and discussing!

Jessica Lares · Jan 1, 2014

Nokia has three types of phones right now.

The feature phone:

THEIR version of the smartphone (Asha):

And then the Lumia line running Windows Phone:

They already announced a few more feature phones coming out this year. They will probably make a few more Asha models too. Windows Phone is a given though.

I'm personally picking up the Nokia 301.2 when my contract is up. It will live on as long as the demand is there.

maflynn · Jan 2, 2014

im_to_hyper said:
What will the fate of Symbian be in 2014 and beyond now that Nokia has given up the ghost with that operating system?

I think you've already answered your own question. With Nokia going to windows, no one is going to license the platform. Its all but dead at this point.

deluxeshredder · Jan 2, 2014

During the time when iOS has been surging, Symbian was very badly adapted for touchscreens and managed to have a foothold in the low-end touchscreen phone market until Android emerged as a far better alternative.

im_to_hyper said:
Will other companies use it? Is it able to be ported to other devices?

Very, very unlikely.

im_to_hyper said:
How does the Asha OS compare? I noticed that it supposedly has Angry Birds and other apps. I'm confused, as I thought it was a "dumbphone" OS.

It is a worthless dumbphone OS. There are many better Android-based alternatives.

roadbloc · Jan 2, 2014

Really liked my Nokia Lumia. Shame it met such an awful demise as it slipped out of my pocket and off a bridge. A Nokia will certainly be a contender for me when I get round to buying a proper replacement.

chown33 · Jan 2, 2014

roadbloc said:
Really liked my Nokia Lumia. Shame it met such an awful demise as it slipped out of my pocket and off a bridge. A Nokia will certainly be a contender for me when I get round to buying a proper replacement.

Was a bowl of petunias involved?

wrldwzrd89 · Jan 3, 2014

deluxeshredder said:
During the time when iOS has been surging, Symbian was very badly adapted for touchscreens and managed to have a foothold in the low-end touchscreen phone market until Android eclipsed as a far better alternative.

Very, very unlikely.

It is a worthless dumbphone OS. There are many better Android-based alternatives.

There's a rumor floating around that Nokia is doing exactly what you are suggesting - planning to get rid of Asha and replace it with an Android base skinned to resemble Asha.

im_to_hyper · May 22, 2014

wrldwzrd89 said:
There's a rumor floating around that Nokia is doing exactly what you are suggesting - planning to get rid of Asha and replace it with an Android base skinned to resemble Asha.

Well -- Looks like the Wizard of '89 was correct with this! Reviving my old thread to comment on that. Now we shall see what Microsoft does with their newly-purchased Android line of phones!

wrldwzrd89 · May 22, 2014

im_to_hyper said:
Well -- Looks like the Wizard of '89 was correct with this! Reviving my old thread to comment on that. Now we shall see what Microsoft does with their newly-purchased Android line of phones!

The "89" in my name isn't my birth year - it's from the TI-89 calculator

Back on topic though, yes this ought to be interesting. What will Microsoft do with the Asha line of phones? I honestly have no clue.

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[Industry Discussion] Nokia Asha vs. Symbian - Will Symbian Live On?

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