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Symbian devices were actually very good phones. For making and receiving voice calls, they were better than Android has ever been. Of course, as a platform for

Symbian devices were actually very good phones. For making and receiving voice calls, they were better than Android has ever been. Of course, as a platform for Web browsing, and particularly for app development, Symbian was not good. But I still miss the phone functionality of my E71, or the Symbian devices I had before it.

sangnoir 10y ago
> Of course, as a platform for Web browsing, and particularly for app development, Symbian was not good. So in other words - they were great phones, but terrible smartphones? I fully agree.
- ptaipale 10y ago
  Again, depends on what is "smart". For many day-to-day things, Symbian phones were superior to current smart phones as well. Some of this is more about security/commercial setup than technology, but 15 years ago, I was able to synchronize Outlook calendar to a Symbian phone, and it would remind me of my meetings, and it worked great. Android or iPhone could do the same technically, but my employer can no longer use it. The company would give all data about meetings to Google or Apple. It's an absolute no-no. Thus I sometimes forget my meetings, as the phone no longer reminds me. Also, the alarm clock of Symbian was great, and i could depend on it. Even if you turned the phone off, it would wake you up. I'm nervous about trusting any Android device to wake me up in the morning if I have to catch a plane or a train (and I understand it's the same with iPhone).
Grishnakh 10y ago
And this was their undoing: thinking that people really cared that much about talking on the phone. Talking is one of my least-used functions on my Android phone. I use it far, far more for texting, apps, internet, navigation, games, photos, and even visual voicemail than I do for talking. I might have a handful of calls a week on it. A phone that's great for talking and sucks for all the other things would be mostly useless to me.

sangnoir 10y ago

> Of course, as a platform for Web browsing, and particularly for app development, Symbian was not good. So in other words - they were great phones, but terrible smartphones? I fully agree.

ptaipale 10y ago
Again, depends on what is "smart". For many day-to-day things, Symbian phones were superior to current smart phones as well. Some of this is more about security/commercial setup than technology, but 15 years ago, I was able to synchronize Outlook calendar to a Symbian phone, and it would remind me of my meetings, and it worked great. Android or iPhone could do the same technically, but my employer can no longer use it. The company would give all data about meetings to Google or Apple. It's an absolute no-no. Thus I sometimes forget my meetings, as the phone no longer reminds me. Also, the alarm clock of Symbian was great, and i could depend on it. Even if you turned the phone off, it would wake you up. I'm nervous about trusting any Android device to wake me up in the morning if I have to catch a plane or a train (and I understand it's the same with iPhone).

Grishnakh 10y ago

And this was their undoing: thinking that people really cared that much about talking on the phone. Talking is one of my least-used functions on my Android phone. I use it far, far more for texting, apps, internet, navigation, games, photos, and even visual voicemail than I do for talking. I might have a handful of calls a week on it. A phone that's great for talking and sucks for all the other things would be mostly useless to me.