Nokia’s Response About Dropping Symbian from Nseries by 2012
It looks like the Maemo marketing team at the Nokia N900 London meetup got a little excited and said something they shouldn’t have. Ben Smith from The Really Mobile Project wrote that the team revealed on Wednesday that Nokia plans to drop Symbian from the Nseries line of devices in favour of Maemo by 2012. I’ve reached out to Nokia for comment and they say that the speculations are “completely premature.”
This is the official response from Nokia’s corporate communications,
“While it is our policy not to disclose details of our product roadmap, we’d like to explicitly communicate that we remain firmly committed to Symbian as our smartphone platform of choice. Any speculation on what our 2012 roadmap, including operating systems and product branding, are completely premature.
As we have stated earlier, Nokia has multiple platforms to serve different purposes and address different markets. Symbian is more successful than ever in bringing smartphones to the masses. Maemo is our software of choice for devices based on technology that you’d typically find inside a desktop computer. It delivers a different user experience and enables us to widen the market we can address.”
Andy Pho on 18 November 2009:
It doesn't seem like their denying it, just say that it's too early to admit. If all goes well with Maemo and if it picks up a lot of users within a short time period, it wouldn't be wrong to switch or at least have a larger variety of powerful Maemo devices.
Abul on 18 November 2009:
I wouldn't trust those @Reallymobile guys, they always seem to get rumours wrong! Remember the Pre winning gadget of the year? That @bensmithuk too, he's just a rumour whore!
Kip Hakes on 18 November 2009:
They aren't denying it's the case, it's more like they are saying it's too early for them to officially comment. From what Ben and I were told Symbian would still be used on other ranges, so would indeed be their platform of choice. That statement is just a bit of spin, it doesn't really confirm or deny anthing.
Abul on 18 November 2009:
They won't admit it because they have invested and have many investors who are relying on Symbian to keep their stock afloat. Samsung and Sony Ericsson as two such manufacturers who might ditch Symbian if this sort of news is confirmed.
Moving to Maemo for all N-Series devices would be a pretty decent move IMO, the buzz right now and the announcement of a few other handsets running Maemo, would be highly profitable. But obviously they N900 must be used as a guinea pig before making such drastic moves and announcements.
pseudofinn on 18 November 2009:
Kudos to you, Mark, for doing the leg work in an attempt to confirm such a bold account of Nokia's plans with Nseries and Maemo.
Whatever happened to confirming a story before going to 'print'? :-/
I think everyone relates Symbian with the very powerful, but even more stale S60 OS- and are oh so eager to hear news of its demise.
Let's all take a deep breath, huh?
Mac Morrison on 18 November 2009:
>Maemo is our software of choice for devices based on technology that you’d typically find inside a desktop computer.
Nokia: N series – it's what the computer has become
read into that what you will
gunmeat on 18 November 2009:
It's all just company politics. It's a public secret that Nokia favours Maemo. Symbian is going to be the “mid-range” and Maemo “top/high-range platform. Nokia is not denying that. There will probably be contract's with symbian developers till 2012. From that date on Maemo will run on every Nseries smartphone. By the way, what do we all care? The world ends in 2012!?
Ben Smith on 18 November 2009:
It's true… I secretly want Really Mobile to be the Daily Mail of mobile news.
Mark Guim on 18 November 2009:
Just noticed your URL. Very nice!
Ben Smith on 18 November 2009:
Best €70 I ever spent… Well… kinda…
Nokia Dumping Symbian as the OS for N-Series Phones? on 18 November 2009:
[...] official response to this leak was “Any speculation on what our 2012 roadmap, including operating systems and [...]
Will They, Won’t They? « -:: Malaysia Mobile Tech News ::- on 18 November 2009:
[...] reallymobileproject website, but strangely there has been no update on this matter, even after the nokiablog website published what it says is Nokia’s official response to the [...]
varun on 19 November 2009:
nice to see international usage of .in
Varun on 19 November 2009:
On a humorous note
Nokia dropping Symbian and Logictech Mouse for Maemo Mousse
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fonearena/4115042084/
Merlin-HDH on 19 November 2009:
Who cares? It's just a name … If an OS is usable, bug free and you will have usable apps for it, you can name it however you want. isn't it?
Luboš Brůha on 20 November 2009:
It looks like Maemo for geeks and Symbian for mass people.
chrishaber on 22 November 2009:
ngage for nokia 5800 please???
Frank on 28 November 2009:
But Symbian could win Samsung and Sony as well.
Daniel "NeoStrider" Monteiro on 29 November 2009:
I see your point, and I hope you see mine. I came from Symbian in a time it was as nowhere as complex as it is today. And then it was enough for me to migrate to Maemo. Also, from the user standpoint, I like maemo simplicity.
The problem to developers is that its become increasely dificult do mantain bug-free apps for Symbian, due to stil complexity and mutant nature. Linux, on the other hand, has its base on UNIX, a 40 – years old OS that remained quite stable in the last, say, 20 years. Its much easier to get better apps, becouse you dont have to spend extra time get along with a weird OS.
poceey on 12 December 2009:
I like this Nokia brand very much because it's good then other mobile company sets i think.Even i use the express music set 5230.It's symbian and i am working well with it.I dont think that Nokia should drop the symbian.
Daniel on 13 December 2009:
'Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated'
Daniel on 13 December 2009:
'Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated'
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Change-of-Address on 5 January 2010:
I would love to know more of the details of Symbian's relationship with Nokia and whether Ben Smith's comments were simply misstaken or if there is a larger underlying problem. It seems pretty peculiar to announce the end of a corporate relationship just by accident.
satellitedishcovers on 6 March 2010:
There is no doubt that this is really a nice share and i will come back surely to read more. Thanks
Nokia N800 on 25 March 2010:
Oh no that cannot be happen this very harsh step taken up by the company
Типография on 5 April 2010:
I see your point, and I hope you see mine. I came from Symbian in a time it was as nowhere as complex as it is today. And then it was enough for me to migrate to Maemo. Also, from the user standpoint, I like maemo simplicity.
Типография on 5 April 2010:
I see your point, and I hope you see mine. I came from Symbian in a time it was as nowhere as complex as it is today. And then it was enough for me to migrate to Maemo. Also, from the user standpoint, I like maemo simplicity.
Uninstall Program on 17 June 2010:
Nokia is a responsible company.
Remove Spyware on 17 June 2010:
I really appreciate the responsibility of Nokia.
Mrhasnain95 on 19 July 2010:
It couldn't be denied that Nokia is one of the pioneer mobile company. In my opinion this time they want to introduce something new. Lets see how it works
medyum on 30 July 2010:
'Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated'
Dual Sim Phones on 9 August 2010:
I think symbian is quite a satisfactory os and a lot of people love also make ngage for nokia 5800 please??? hackers can do it why can't nokia
laptop battery shop on 10 August 2010:
I came from Symbian in a time it was as nowhere as complex as it is today. And then it was enough for me to migrate to Maemo. Also, from the user standpoint, I like maemo simplicity.