In a recent survey conducted by Gartner, the Symbian platform showed that it remains the undisputed champion of smartphone operating systems. However, with the recent explosive growth of the iPhone along with the buildup of Android, webOS, BlackBerry, and Windows Mobile, this may become a thing of the past.
Symbian has traditionally had the largest market share due to the long-term strategic planning of the platform. What are now considered standard features for smartphone operating systems, such as app stores, firmware updates, developer SDKs, etc., were promoted by Symbian. Unfortunately, it seems like the technology was way ahead of its time compared to what is considered “revolutionary” or “state of the art” right now. Symbian should look to recapitalize on this advantage by leveraging the platform aggressively for consumers again.
Here are some steps that Symbian should seriously consider to relaunch the platform in the minds of consumers again:
1. Revolutionary new phones with eye-catching designs
A. Re-forge a technology partnership with Nokia
b. Focus on US markets
vs Compete on price points with subsidized phones
2. Open the codebase for Symbian
A. Allow cross-platform publishing: Qt
b. Build stronger relationships with developers
3. Marketing Symbian Horizon
(Fountain)
There are more actions, but these are the relevant issues that Symbian should address.
1. Revolutionary new phones with eye-catching designs
Traditionally, Symbian phones haven’t necessarily been the most attractive or desirable phones. They were practical, utility-driven devices where looks weren’t overly important. However, consumer tastes have changed dramatically. Mainly, Apple’s insistent focus on style has led customers’ thoughts to more demanding expectations of their smartphones. Currently also having the status of a fashion accessory, clearly utility and productivity are not enough for today’s consumer.
Nokia is Symbian’s biggest asset here, with a host of phones, including the N-97 and several N-series phones, doing phenomenally well around the world. Symbian needs to partner with some serious designers and build phones that will freak out if they don’t have them. With a number of people now starting to combine phones as fashion accessories, it is time for a change. Bring in the clean, sleek glossy black plastic and brushed steel, and bring out the gray scratch-proof plastics.
The Symbian-Nokia partnership also has an added bonus, mainly the amount of technology Nokia has invested in the touch screen. Multi-touch support on Nokia screens is revolutionary in many ways. Nokia and Apple are currently competing head-to-head for technology patents, but Symbian must capture the functionality of this feature to ensure customers return to the platform. The iPhone, HTC HD2, Motorola’s Droid, Samsung Omnia etc. have all set high standards, however the Symbian experience should be valuable in putting a new spin on the feature. The improved typing support alone could potentially win over millions of customers who are fans of text but not necessarily fans of attempts at currently available touch screen methods.
Another factor that Symbian should highlight is Symbian’s lack of penetration within the United States. Considering that most of the developer capital is in Silicon Valley and other tech hubs, the US is an important market for smartphones. With acceptance within that specific market, Symbian could easily surpass all of its other competitors as the leading operating system for smartphones.
2. Open the codebase for Symbian
Qt is a type of technology that allows users to develop applications that can be easily ported to other platforms without having to rewrite the code multiple times. Currently there are few applications that actively allow easy migration to other platforms. Although there are techniques to transfer apps from iPhone to other platforms, actually it is never as easy as it seems. This issue needs to be clearly addressed to ensure the platform is viable for developers.
A hidden asset that technology companies sometimes forget is the developers themselves. Although much support is devoted to them, they are important stakeholders in the technology being developed. They are both customers and end users of apps and phones. Without your support and effort, the technology would remain a dead platform. Symbian needs to actively seek out technology evangelists within its platform and bring them on board as active partners in the technology being developed. With your contributions and insights, you will bring about a new renaissance in the platform that can help it retain its market share among smartphone operating systems.
3. Marketing Symbian Horizon
Horizon is a wonderful free community that Symbian has created for application developers to post their applications at no cost to build a developer base. The design and interface are beautiful and emphasize the fun side of Symbian and the access developers have to the community and to Symbian for development purposes. I found out about Symbian through a comment by a Symbian Horizon employee on LinkedIn. Before the comment, I had never heard of it. Clearly, Symbian really needs to bring Horizon to the minds of developers. The ability to publish apps for free and access the required target markets is of great benefit to app developers who need to build a name and reputation while developing apps.
An additional benefit of Horizon is that it allows users to interact with Symbian employees and other developers so that they can have an impact on the smartphone’s operating system.
It seems that Symbian has a lot of work to do to maintain its market share. However, a coordinated effort could easily bring it back to the forefront of smartphone operating systems. Hopefully, a hardening strategy will help Symbian focus its efforts to combat the upcoming competition via Android, iPhone, webOS and BlackBerry offerings.