Symbian-based
Mobile Software Development
Mobile Monday Budapest, 2009
Gábor Török, Agil Eight

Speaker introduction
• Involved in mobile software development
since 2000
• Three-times Forum Nokia Champion
• Blogger
http://mobile-thoughts.blogspot.com

Platform introduction
• History
– 1983-1998: Psion – EPOC –
Psion Series 3&5
– 1998-2009: – Symbian
OS – S60, UIQ and MOAP(S)
– 2009- : Symbian Foundation

Platform introduction
Worldwide smartphone market shares
2008 Mobile Market Share Q3 2008
Q3 2007
Q3 2008, Q3 2007
(IDC)
80
70
60
Nokia
50
Samsung
LG Electronics
Motorola 40
Sony Ericsson
Others 30
20
10
0
Sy m bian Apple RIM Microsof t Linux Others

Platform introduction
Top model technical specification
(Nokia 5800 XpressMusic)
– HSDPA
– Touch screen
– Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
– 3.15 MP camera
– Built-in GPS
– 128 MB RAM, MicroSD card up to 16 GB
– Sensors: proximity, accelerometer

Technical bits – Development
environment
• Free Symbian C++ SDK
• Free Eclipse-based IDE, Carbide.C++ 2.0
• Additional software: Perl, Java, SDK add-
ons
• Emulator

Technical bits – Symbian OS
• Symbian is a 32-bits multi-tasking, multi-
threading OS based on ARM architecture.
• System is in ROM: the OS, middleware and
applications. RAM is usually between 32 and
128 MB – with demand paging it's enough for
most applications. “Extra” memory is either
internal or external (memory card).
• Mixed micro and monolithic kernel architecture
with real-time nanokernel.

Technical bits – Symbian OS
• GUI architecture (MVC) with support for
external resource files, i18n, L10n, SVG,
etc.
• Non-GUI server processes – inter-process
communication with kernel's assistance.
• Plug-in architecture (ECOM)
• Platform Security

Technical bits – Symbian C++
• Active Object framework vs multi-
threading
• Descriptors vs “normal” strings
• Leaves, cleanup stack, two-phase
construction
• Naming conventions
• No Standard Template Library

Technical bits – Symbian Signed
Deployment
– Compiled, compressed, signed package (SIS)
containing all resources => signing is a MUST
– Transferred via all possible methods including
IR, BT, Internet download, using PC-Suite, etc.
– Signing method influences application
rights

Technical bits – Symbian Signed
Signing options
– Self-signing
– Open Signed Online (Symbian Signed)
– Open Signed Offline (Symbian Signed)
– Express Signed (Symbian Signed)
– Certified Signed (Symbian Signed)

Technical bits – Run-time environments
• Java ME
– Running on both S60 and S40 phones – widest
coverage among run-times
– Free JDK, IDE (Eclipse, NetBeans), Nokia SDK
• Flash
– Flash Lite for media rich applications => Adobe's
run-time may become a truly cross-platform
environment for mobile
– Adobe Flash CS3 Professional (commercial) with
free plug-ins for Flash Lite + on Windows or Mac

Technical bits – Run-time environments
• Python for S60
– Standard features of Python language, PyS60 provides
access to S60 mobile features
– Extensible, open source language, ideal for RAD
– Cross-platform ... sort of
• Open C/C++
– Open for standard C/C++ programs available mostly as
desktop software
– Reduces the effort of porting existing middleware and
application engines written in C/C++
– Carbide.C++ IDE + Open C/C++ plug-in on top of S60
SDK

Technical bits – Run-time environments
• Web run-time
– HTML/CSS/JavaScript-based widgets
– WebKit-based web run-time on S60 (and on S40, too),
widgets are familiar to web developers
– Proprietary APIs for mobile features
• Qt
– Trolltech's (now Nokia's) cross-platform application
framework that offers portable applications across
many desktop and embedded operating systems
– Will be integrated to S40, too => another cross-platform
environment that links PC and mobile technologies

Technical bits – Run-time environments
• .NET
– redFIVElabs' .NET compact framework to run
mobile .NET applications unchanged on Symbian
devices (C#, VB.NET)
• Ruby
– Interpreter for S60
– In early phase, open source
• NS BASIC
– Write a program in BASIC and run it on S60

Technical bits – Developer support
• Forum Nokia
– Discussion Board, Wiki, Blogs
– Programs for companies (LaunchPad, PRO, PRO-A), developers
(Champion)
– Remote Device Access
• Symbian Developer Network
• Books, booklets
• Trainings, courses
• Other external resources
– Forums
– DeviceAnywhere
– Open source projects

Business bits – Distribution channels
Nokia Software Market Handango
Revenue share 60% 50%
Payment period Monthly, Quarterly Monthly with minimum
Payment method Cheque, Wire Cheque, Wire, PayPal
Key generation By developer By developer or site
Other plus Integrated client (Download!) More convenient to use

Business bits – Distribution channels
Ovi Store – from May, 2009
– General content store (applications, music, videos,
podcasts, themes, ringtones, etc.)
– Location-awareness
– Social discovery
– Revenue share: 70%
– For both smart- and non-smart phones including
cheaper S40 phones
– Bill payment or credit cards
– Replaces MOSH, Nokia Software Market and
Download!

Business bits – Symbian Foundation
• Nokia acquired Symbian in 2008 and
formed Symbian Foundation. SF will start to
operate in 1H 2009
• SF will unify Symbian OS, S60, UIQ and
MOAP(S) into a royalty-free, open source
platform that release under Eclipse license
• Membership open to any organization for
an annual fee of $1.500
• SF has already 78 members (Feb, 2009)

Business bits – Symbian Foundation
• Governance
– Board: 5 OEMs (based on # of devices shipped),
5 non-OEMs (election & contribution), 1 director
– Councils: Feature and Roadmap, Architecture,
Release, User Interface
• Why is it worth?
– Nokia: in race with mobile Linux, lower R&D costs
– Operators: cheaper, unified user experience
across the entire platform, more active community
– Developers: boosts innovation

Thank you for your interest!