Samsung drops Symbian

By Geoff Duncan October 1, 2010

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Samsung—the world’s second-largest maker of mobile phones—has announced it will be dropping support for the Symbian operating system at the end of 2010. The brief note notes the company will stop certifying applications for Samsung Apps store on December 31, and urges developers to post any queries before December 10 so they can be resolved by the end of the year. After that, Samsung advises developers to look to the Symbian Foundation for support.

Samsung instead will be focusing its efforts on handsets running Android and Windows Phone 7. Samsung is one of three device manufacturers expected to have Windows Phone devices ready to go at launch later this month—HTC and LG will also be ready to go with Windows Phone devices. Samsung has recently been pushing its Galaxy line of Android smartphones and will soon be complementing that with an Android-based Galaxy tablet. Samsung, presumably, still has its own Bada mobile operating system percolating.

The move is the second defection from the Symbian camp in the last two weeks: on September 24, Sony-Ericsson announced it would be dropping Symbian to focus on Windows 7 Phone and Android devices.

Neither Sony-Ericsson nor Samsung made tremendous numbers of Symbian phones: the primary Symbian device maker remains Finland’s Nokia. Nonetheless, having high-profile device manufacturers abandoning the platform can’t be a comforting development for the Symbian Foundation.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Samsung
Sony

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Mobile

5 ways the Samsung Galaxy S24 beats the Google Pixel 8

Samsung Galaxy S24 (left) and Google Pixel 8 in hand.

If you’re in the market for a new Android phone, you have many options to consider. Google's Pixel phones are in better shape than ever, Samsung's Galaxy S range is killing it, OnePlus is on a tear, and Motorola has some very strong options, too.

Out of all the Android phones you have to choose from, there's a strong chance you're thinking about going with either the Google Pixel 8 or the Samsung Galaxy S24. If you're looking at both phones and are unsure which is the best overall pick, here are a few reasons we think you should opt for the Samsung handset.
A lighter and more compact design

Mobile

The best Samsung Galaxy Watch in 2024: Which one should you buy?

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, side by side on a persons wrist.

While the openness of the Android ecosystem means there’s no shortage of options to choose in terms of smartwatches, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch family leads the pack by a wide margin.

The Galaxy Watch 6 marks the wearable’s fifth generation (there was never a Galaxy Watch 2), which means the line has had plenty of time to evolve and mature. Samsung’s decision to embrace Wear OS two years ago and expand the lineup in new directions with an adventurous “Pro” model and the return of the much-loved rotating bezel means that there’s now a Galaxy Watch for just about everyone.

Mobile

How to fix the ‘Not Registered on Network’ error on a Samsung Galaxy phone

Someone holding the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Unlike our phones, the SIM cards that connect them to a network have barely evolved over the last decade or so. This can sometimes mean you'll have trouble connecting to a network, even when the phone and the SIM card are seemingly just fine. If you are using a Samsung Galaxy or another Android phone or tablet with cellular connectivity, you might see an error on your phone that says "Not Registered on Network."