Platforms

As a visual designer, you likely focus much of your attention on the display and how it renders or interprets the content found within the operating system, browser, or stand-alone (often third-party) applications. These applications will most likely be built on one of the following platforms:

  • Symbian OS: Symbian OS, designed specifically for smartphones, provides a rich and stable operating system for feature-rich smartphones using 3G, WLAN, voice over IP (VoIP), multimedia, and web technologies. Because Symbian OS is an open platform, virtually anybody can develop software for Symbian OS phones. The S60 platform is based on Symbian OS.

  • S60: The S60 platform is the world’s most popular smartphone platform. It provides application and media developers with a consistent set of technologies, suitable for a diverse range of devices. Developers can use Symbian C++, a set of open C and C++ APIs, the Java™ language, Web technologies, Flash Lite from Adobe, and Python.

  • Series 40: The Series 40 platform is the world's most widely used mobile device platform. Series 40 devices include mass-market mobile internet devices, as well as devices for specific market segments, such as music or fashion. Compared to the multi-tasking S60, Series 40 uses a simpler operating system.

  • Maemo™: The maemo platform is built on desktop open-source components. The platform is based on the GNU/Linux operating system and the GNOME desktop environment. It is aimed at enabling the development of applications and innovative technology for mobile devices. The maemo UI is customised for the screen size and usage typical for a touchscreen-enabled handheld device.

  • Java: Java Platform, Micro Edition (Java ME) is the version of the Java language that is optimised for mobile applications and is the most widely available runtime environment for mobile devices.

  • Flash Lite: Flash from Adobe is a leading technology for delivering engaging media content on the web. Flash Lite from Adobe is the mobile-optimised version of that technology. Three versions of Flash Lite are available on more than 90 Nokia devices, with newer versions offering increasing levels of functionality and support for ActionScript.

    For more information, see Nokia handsets that have Adobe Flash Lite pre-installed on the Adobe Web site.

  • Web browsers or Web Runtime: Nokia provides a variety of platforms to deliver experiences through the mobile Web. The Web Browser for S60 is one of the most advanced mobile-device browsers. It renders standard web pages; can display Flash Lite, audio, and video content; and provides a high level of support for XHTML, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), and JavaScript™ technology. Lite Browsing provides an optimised mobile-browsing experience based on the XHTML-MP specification of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Web Runtime (WRT) for S60 is an extension of the S60 browser that acts as a runtime platform in its own right. It enables designers and developers to use existing knowledge of standard web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create great-looking, easy-to-install widgets.

© Nokia 2009.