4 ms·

Hm it would be fun to mess around with symbian. What is the ehm state of the art when it comes to Symbian phones?

• andylynch 6y ago
  It's pretty dead now unfortunately - the last one released was the Nokia 808, back in 2012.
  • app4soft 6y ago
    > the last one released was the Nokia 808, back in 2012. While there are no new devices, there are a lot of new software[0], even firmware updates created by active Symbian devs[2]. [0] https://github.com/search/?o=desc&q=symbian&s=updated&type=Repositories https://github.com/search/?o=desc&q=symbian&s=updated&type=R... [1] http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/news/item/23926_Delight_18_custom_firmware_CFW.php http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/news/item/23926_Delight_18_cu... [2] https://github.com/mrRosset/Symbian-Archive/issues/10 https://github.com/mrRosset/Symbian-Archive/issues/10
    • rijoja 6y ago
      All right don't have time to research, but when it comes to emulators what is the state there?
      • app4soft 6y ago
        > but when it comes to emulators what is the state there? What you mean?
• zinekeller 6y ago
  Code-wise, it's really in a limbo. Nokia owns (IP-sense) many parts of the ecosystem - but not all of them (not to mention third-party components like the Java interpreter found on some S60 and above devices). They tried to release it in 2009 to attract some interest - but the iPhone and Windows Mobile (Android were very niche at the time) were better to say the least and withdraw the offer before the year ends (at the time Nokia tries to enter the netbook business). Worse of it, some parts are owned by Ericsson, Sony, probably NTT and a lot of others that I forgot. Oh, and I am not sure and this might be wrong but I heard rumours that some of the Symbian IP might be under the care of UK Crown (due to insolvent Psion). If it were true, this kills any chance of releasing the code.
  • Maakuth 6y ago
    Nokia did release the code via Symbian Foundation, but it was (now obviously) too late for the open source model to produce any value for them, let alone rescue the ecosystem. So soon after "Elopcalypse" they shuttered the foundation. However, it's quite hard to unrelease open source code, so it is mirrored here in Github: https://github.com/SymbianSource https://github.com/SymbianSource
    • zinekeller 6y ago
      Yes, I agree that it actually exists in the open, and I should have clarified what I've said earlier. It turns out that Nokia doesn't have the whole IP for Symbian (unless in 2009 they painstakingly bought all the IP needed, which I haven't seen any eveidence). Of course it would be silly to include for example Java and the Snake series of games on what I am talking about, but I mean the internal bits of the components of it. So I say that the code, while source-available, might not be released cleanly IP-wise (however it is clear that it is abandoned so they might be reluctant to enforce it or even unknowingly holds the copyright to some parts of it).
      • Maakuth 6y ago
        Ah yes, creating new Symbian devices is probably an IPR minefield. Judging by the stories heard from Nokia veterans though, it might also prove practically quite challenging.