How Symbian Lost the Smartphone war to Android and Apple

Before Android and the iPhone became dominant, Symbian was the most important operating system in the mobile-phone industry.

For many years, Symbian powered Nokia phones and devices made by companies such as Ericsson, Motorola and Samsung. It offered features that were advanced for its time, including mobile internet, email, calendars, cameras, music players, messaging and downloadable applications.

At its height, Symbian was the operating system behind a large share of the world’s smartphones. Its success was closely connected to the rise of Nokia, then the world’s leading mobile-phone manufacturer.

The beginning of Symbian

Symbian’s history can be traced to software developed by Psion, a British company that made personal digital assistants.

Psion’s EPOC operating system was designed for small, portable computers. In 1998, Psion joined forces with Ericsson, Nokia and Motorola to establish Symbian Limited.

The new company was created to develop an operating system for the emerging smartphone market. At that time, mobile phones were becoming more powerful, but there was no single platform that could handle advanced software and mobile communication effectively.

Symbian offered manufacturers a ready-made system that could be adapted to different devices.

Nokia takes the lead

Nokia became Symbian’s most influential supporter.

The company used Symbian in several popular devices, including the Nokia Communicator series and later smartphones such as the Nokia 7650, Nokia N95 and Nokia E-series.

The Nokia N95 was especially important. It combined a camera, music player, GPS, web browser, video capabilities and mobile applications in one device. For many users, it represented the future of mobile technology years before smartphones became ordinary.

Symbian also benefited from a strong developer and manufacturer ecosystem. Different companies produced devices using the platform, while developers created applications for users.

In 2008, Nokia acquired the remaining shares of Symbian Limited and took control of the operating system. Nokia later helped establish the Symbian Foundation, with the goal of making the platform more open and encouraging wider industry participation.

Why Symbian became so successful

Symbian was designed for mobile phones with limited processing power, small amounts of memory and modest batteries.

It was efficient and could run on hardware that was far less powerful than modern smartphones. That made it attractive to manufacturers and helped phones remain usable for long periods without frequent charging.

The operating system also supported multitasking, mobile browsing, cameras, Bluetooth, memory cards and third-party applications.

For years, these features gave Symbian a strong advantage over simpler mobile-phone software.

The iPhone changes the market

Symbian’s problems became clear after Apple introduced the iPhone in 2007.

The iPhone offered a large touchscreen, smooth gestures, a simple interface and a new approach to mobile applications. Instead of relying mainly on physical buttons and complicated menus, Apple made the smartphone feel more like a small computer designed around touch.

Symbian had not been built for that type of experience. It was designed for phones with keypads, small screens and styluses. As manufacturers began producing touchscreen devices, Symbian’s interface often appeared complicated and outdated compared with Apple’s iOS.

The App Store also changed customer expectations. Users wanted easy access to large numbers of polished applications, while developers wanted a platform that was consistent and simple to program for.

Android increases the pressure

Google’s Android operating system created another major challenge.

Android was offered to many manufacturers and could be customised for different types of devices. This allowed companies such as Samsung, HTC, LG and Motorola to compete quickly in the smartphone market.

Android also benefited from the growing popularity of touchscreen phones and the expansion of Google’s software services.

While Android and iOS improved rapidly, Symbian became associated with slow development, inconsistent interfaces and difficult application development. Different versions of the system created additional challenges for developers and users.

Nokia changes direction

By the early 2010s, Nokia was losing ground quickly.

In 2011, Nokia announced a major partnership with Microsoft and chose Windows Phone as its main smartphone platform. The decision marked a clear shift away from Symbian.

Nokia continued releasing some Symbian phones, but the company’s attention and resources moved towards Windows Phone devices such as the Lumia range.

The change came too late to reverse Nokia’s decline. Android and iOS had already built strong developer communities, large application stores and loyal customer bases.

The end of Symbian

Symbian gradually disappeared from the smartphone market as Nokia and other manufacturers stopped producing new devices using the platform.

The Symbian Foundation was eventually closed, and Nokia ended major development of the operating system. By the middle of the 2010s, Symbian had largely disappeared from the global smartphone industry.

Its decline was not caused by one single problem. The platform suffered from an outdated user interface, slow adaptation to touchscreens, fragmented software versions, weak developer support and uncertainty over Nokia’s long-term strategy.

The lesson from Symbian

Symbian was not a poor operating system when it was created. It was efficient, influential and ahead of its time in many areas.

Its failure came from an inability to adapt quickly enough when the meaning of a smartphone changed. Customers moved from phones designed mainly for calls and messages to touchscreen computers built around applications, internet services and simple user experiences.

Symbian helped create the smartphone market, but it struggled to compete in the market it had helped build.
Technology companies must continue to improve their products, listen to changing customer expectations and make difficult decisions before competitors force them to change.

Sources mentioned: Nokia’s corporate history; Symbian Foundation records; Psion’s software history; Apple’s iPhone launch materials; Google’s Android history; and historical reporting by technology publications including The Guardian, BBC and The Verge.