Series 60

Series 60
Nokia · Public domain · source
Name	Series 60
Developer	Symbian Software Limited
Family	Symbian OS
Working state	Discontinued
Source model	Closed source
First release	2001
Latest release	3rd Edition Feature Pack 2 (2008)
Programmed in	C++
Kernel type	Monolithic (Symbian OS)
Ui	S60 GUI
License	Proprietary

Series 60 Series 60 was a mobile software platform and user interface that powered smartphones during the early 2000s, developed by Symbian Software Limited and deployed by manufacturers such as Nokia, Samsung, Siemens, Sony Ericsson and Motorola. It bridged Symbian OS with a standardized touchpoint for applications from providers like Microsoft, Google, Vodafone and IBM, and competed with platforms from Apple, Palm, RIM and Microsoft.

Overview

Series 60 launched as a platform for smartphones combining a user interface layer, application frameworks and telephony integration built on Symbian OS. Early adopters included Nokia Corporation flagship models and devices from Ericsson and Samsung Electronics. The platform supported native development in C++ using the Symbian UI Framework and enabled third-party applications distributed through carriers such as Vodafone Group, retailers like The Carphone Warehouse and marketplaces later rivaled by Apple App Store and Google Play. Series 60 evolved through multiple editions—1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th—each addressing changes in hardware from CPU vendors like ARM Holdings and system vendors like Texas Instruments and Qualcomm.

Development and Architecture

Series 60’s architecture integrated the Symbian OS kernel, middleware components from companies such as Nokia Research Center and a GUI stack drawing on standards promoted by the Open Mobile Alliance. It used the EPOC heritage and introduced APIs for telephony, messaging and multimedia that interoperated with protocols specified by 3GPP and IETF. Development tools centered on the Symbian SDK, the Carbide.c++ IDE and toolchains targeting ARM architecture with build systems influenced by GNU Compiler Collection configurations; debugging and emulation used components from Trolltech (later Qt Project) and testing often involved device farms managed by vendors like Accenture and platform partners including IBM. Security and capability models were tightened in response to platform threats analyzed by groups such as CERT and research from universities like University of Cambridge and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Devices and Manufacturers

A wide array of devices ran the platform, from candybar and clamshell designs to full QWERTY and touchscreen models. Notable manufacturers that shipped Series 60 phones included Nokia Corporation (Nokia 7650, N95), Samsung Electronics (SGH series), Sony Ericsson (P-series), Siemens AG (SXG series), Motorola (A series), and smaller OEMs such as BenQ and Panasonic Corporation. Carriers worldwide—AT&T, T-Mobile, Orange S.A., Verizon Communications and O2 (UK)—marketed variants with customized firmware from suppliers like Foxconn and ODMs linked to Compal Electronics. Hardware partnerships with chipmakers such as Broadcom Corporation, STMicroelectronics and Marvell Technology Group influenced feature sets like 3G support standardized by UMTS and multimedia codecs licensed from MPEG LA.

Software and Application Ecosystem

Series 60 supported native Symbian C++ applications and later accommodated runtimes for technologies such as Java Platform, Micro Edition (Java ME), Adobe Flash Lite and cross-platform tools from companies like Openwave Systems. Major software vendors including Microsoft Corporation (through interoperability work), Google LLC (early mobile search and services), Opera Software (Opera Mini), Skype Technologies (VoIP clients) and Electronic Arts produced clients for the platform. Distribution often flowed through carrier portals operated by Vodafone Group and Orange S.A. or independent communities such as Nokia Beta Labs and third-party sites maintained by firms like Ovi by Nokia later in the platform lifecycle. Enterprise adoption saw integration with systems from IBM, Cisco Systems and Microsoft Exchange Server for email and VPN, while mapping and navigation used data from TomTom and NAVTEQ.

Market Reception and Decline

Series 60 achieved early success, contributing to Nokia Corporation’s dominance in smartphone shipments and prompting competition from Research In Motion (BlackBerry) and later entrants Apple Inc. and Google LLC. Critics and analysts at firms like Gartner and IDC noted fragmentation across editions and usability constraints compared with emerging platforms such as iOS and Android (operating system), which offered different development models and touchscreen paradigms defined by Apple App Store and Google Play. The platform’s decline accelerated as manufacturers shifted to alternative software stacks—Android OEMs such as HTC Corporation and Samsung Electronics and operator initiatives like Windows Phone partnerships with Nokia Corporation—and Symbian’s governance moved through entities including Nokia Nseries and the Symbian Foundation before being deprecated.

Legacy and Influence on Mobile Platforms

Despite its discontinuation, Series 60 influenced modern smartphone concepts: application sandboxing and capability-driven APIs informed security models adopted by Android (operating system) and iOS; carrier billing and portal ecosystems evolved into app stores like Apple App Store and Google Play; multitasking approaches and power management techniques carried lessons to projects at Intel Corporation and the Linux Foundation (through mobile initiatives). Alumni from companies tied to Series 60—engineers and designers who later joined firms such as Google LLC, Apple Inc. and Microsoft Corporation—transferred knowledge about mobile UX, middleware and device integration to successor platforms. The platform is often cited in retrospective analyses by technology historians at institutions like Stanford University and in industry reports by McKinsey & Company and Deloitte as a formative chapter in smartphone evolution.

Category:Symbian