What Are the Different Types of Mobile Phone Operating Systems?

There are many different mobile phone operating systems currently being used. Some of the most well-known include Symbian, BlackBerry OS, iOS, Windows Mobile, and Android. Most of them are associated with specific brands of phone made by specific companies while others are open-source and are available on a variety of platforms.

Symbian is primarily found on Nokia phones, but phones by Sharp, Fujitsu, Sony and other companies have the operating system installed as well. Symbian is open source, meaning anyone can use it without having to pay. It is widely used, but it is not the most advanced or full-featured of mobile phone operating systems. Most phones that use Symbian are low-end devices, not full-featured smart phones. Many manufacturers, including Nokia, who had long been the biggest supporter of the OS, have switched over to other operating systems.

One of the most well-known operating systems for mobile phones is the BlackBerry OS. It is the only one of the mobile phone operating systems to be found on BlackBerry devices. The BlackBerry OS is tailor-made for business, with functionality taking a seat over personality or appearance. Its main focus is on messaging, email and other communication features. Media players, and other entrainment-based applications are less-common for the device.

Apple's iOS is found on the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Operating system security and compatibility has been a point of contention for some in regards to iOS. It is entirely closed-source, and Apple chooses on its own which software the platform will and will not support. Adobe Flash, for example, does not work on the embedded operating system. Still, it does have a wide variety of apps and an interface that many laud for its ease of use.

Windows Mobile, also known as Windows Phone, is the mobile phone version of Microsoft's operating system. Because of this, it is easily compatible with many Windows programs such as Microsoft Office, making it a popular choice for businesspeople. Windows Mobile was originally designed for Microsoft's line of Pocket PCs before being adapted for use in phones.

The Android is based off of the Linux operating system. Originally developed by an independent organization, it was later bought by Google, although the OS itself remains free and open source. Android is praised by many for his flexibility as a platform. Anyone can develop apps for the OS, and any company can release a phone using it.

There are just some of the mobile phone operating systems currently in use. Palm's webOS, bada from Samsung, and Noki's Maemo are just some of the operating systems that are used on smartphones around the world. Given the ever-changing nature of the technology industry, even more are bound to show up in time.