Unwired View
Lee Williams, head Symbian foundation, had a an interesting interview with Reuters recently, where he revealed some surprising news.
While Nokia ̔ was first officially announced Symbian^3 handset, it will not be first S^3 smartphone actually ship. That smartphone will come from some Asian vendor.
Since Symbian CEO is understandably reluctant to name names, just yet, we can try to narrow down potential handset makers to just few.
I am pretty sure that new Asian Symbian handset, will come from member of Symbian foundation. Quick scan through member directory reveals 7 Asian companies, that can potentially make such smartphone: Samsung, Fujitsu, Compal, Foxconn, Huawei, Sharp, ZTE.
Let's take look at all them:
Samsung. Samsung coming out it's own Symbian^3 handset, would best news, IMHO, prospects Symbian Foundation, and wider adoption Symbian OS. Samsung is longtime Symbian/S60 licensee, and had some very intersting handsets before. Samsung i8910 Omnia HD comes mind. Unfortunately, just as Nokia started moving Symbian opensource, Samsung noticeably cooled towards this OS. First turning Windows Mobile, then Android, and creating it's own smartphone platform Bada. There even were some rather credible rumors floating around, that Samsung has given up S60 and Symbian. So new Symbian handset, launched even before Nokia, would very welcome surprise indeed. It will indicate, that Samsung hasn't completely given up Symbian, and, Symbian^4 lives up it's promise, they may become major Symbian vendor again.
Huawei and ZTE. These Chinese vendors, making S^3 handset their own, will also very welcome news Symbian Foundation. Up until now, Symbian largely failed attract outside handset vendors it's OS. I would even say, vendor adoption POV, they've lost some significant ground. E.g. Motorola and LG, two big cellphone vendors Symbian Ltd. days, didn't even bother join foundation, turning Android and Windows Mobile, instead. While Samsung has spent last 15 months, lifetime in mobile business, without any new Symbian phone, and largely ignoring their Symbian Flagship – Omnia HD. So getting Huawei an ZTE board, investing in development new Symbian handset, would also very good news. It shows, that Symbian is starting attract outside vendor attention again. Huawei and ZTE also have demonstrated clear ambitions, and have resources, move beyond their native, Chinese market. If,again, Symbian^4 is ready early 2011, and, is what it is claimed be, we might see reversal in Symbian fortunes next year.
Fujitsu and Sharp. If it's one them, that making that Symbian^3 phone, then, IMHO, it's … meh. Yes Fujitsu new Symbian Foundation member, handset vendor. But Fujitsu Sharp work mostly Japan. And Japanese Symbian handsets are so locked down operators, that you can hardly call them smartphones. If that Symbian^3 handset their bid enter, or get back worldwide smartphone market, it's welcome news. But neither Fujitsu, nor Sharp have enough experience, or strength make any meaningful impact outside Japan next year.
Compal and Foxconn. don't really believe that Lee Williams was talking about any of them. listed them, because they are making tons of smartphones OEM basis for some biggest brands out there. But neither likely getting into smartphone biz their own. They might making Symbian^3 handset for some mobile operator, like China Mobile. Then again, if they are, this more or less a non-news, grand scheme of things.
And there also were some other interesting tidbits about Symbian mentioned in Reuters interview.
Lee Williams says that Symbian^3 "is almost completely mature", Symbian^4 will be mature by Q1, 2011. Which, IMHO, means that the actual OS code that Symbian foundation responsible for, ready for v3 now, will be ready early next year for v4. The handset delays mostly Nokia's fault, which screwing things up the OS productization part. (For more on how Symbian OS becomes part of shipping handset, read my Chat ex-Symbian guy, Julien Fourgeaud.)
Lee Williams also stresses that Symbian^3 transitory release to Symbian^4. Which makes me wonder again, what Nokia's CEO was talking about, when he said that S^3 whas THE major effort/investment for Nokia, and S^4 much smaller, incremental release. Everyone from Symbian, that talked this, contradicting Nokia CEO on S^3/S64 relative importance.
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