BORIS NSANKONG

INTRODUCTION

Mobile communication devices have been the most widely adopted means of communication,
both in developed and developing countries with its more penetration than all other electronic
devices combined [16]. Every mobile communication device needs some type of mobile
operating system to run its services: voice calls, short message service, camera functionality,
etc. Older mobile operating systems were fairly straightforward, as the capabilities of the
phones they supported were limited. However, modern smartphones have added many features
of a full-fledged computer which includes high-speed central processing units (CPU) and
graphics processing unit (GPU), large storage space, multitasking, high resolution screens and
cameras, versatile communication equipment and so on [15]. Modern mobile operating systems
combine the functionality of a personal computer operating system with other functionality
including touchscreen, cellular, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, mobile navigation with Global Positioning
System (GPS ), video camera, voice recognition, voice recorder, music player, near field
communication and infrared blaster [7].

Mobile operating systems have had to improve to support these features.

In addition, modern smartphones are designed to allow external developers to write software
for these devices. With this feature, users can access new apps and services by logging into the
device manufacturer's app stores eg. Apple's "App Store", Google's "Android Market",
Blackberry's "App World", Nokia's "OVI Store", Palm's "Palm App Catalog", Windows
Mobile's "Windows Market Place", etc. (figure 1). This allowed these mobile devices to reap
the benefits of the convergence process and brought advanced internet applications and services
to these mobile devices.

However, the device market is dominated by a number of different technology platforms,

including different operating systems and application development platforms, resulting in a
variety of different competing solutions in the market, under the l impetus from different actors.
This fragmentation of technological platforms and standards is seen as an obstacle to the
development of content. and services, which either locks users into specific technologies or
places a huge burden on the content and services provided to adopt their content / services on
all of these platforms.

1
 BORIS NSANKONG

Figure 1: High-level mobile device usage patterns [11]

The purpose of this article is to give a review and comparative analysis of the features of the
six most popular mobile operating systems (Android OS, iOS, Windows Phone, Blackberry
OS, webOS and Symbian OS) and toolkits of most frequently used user interface for developing
client applications (Qt, Java 2 Micro Edition and Silverlight).

MOBILE OPERATING SYSTEMS

A mobile operating system (Mobile OS) is a software platform on which other programs called
application programs can run on mobile devices such as personal digital assistant (PDA),
tablets, cell phones, smartphones, etc. [3]. Over the years, the design of Mobile OS has evolved
in three phases: from a PC-based operating system to an integrated operating system to the
current smartphone-oriented operating system over the past decade. Throughout the process,
the architecture of the mobile operating system has gone from complex to simple to something
in between. The process of evolution is naturally driven by technological advances in hardware,
software and the Internet [11]:

2
 BORIS NSANKONG

i. Hardware: The industry has downsized the factors of microprocessors and

peripherals to design true mobile devices. Before the size of the form factor was
sufficiently reduced, the mobile device could not achieve both small size and
processing capacity at the same time. We had a PC-sized laptop or a much smaller
personal data assistant (PDA) in terms of phone size. Mobile PDA operating systems
generally did not have full support for multitasking or 3D graphics. Features like
sensors, such as accelerometers and capacitor touchscreens were not available in
older mobile operating systems.

ii. Software: with a laptop, the software is primarily focused on user productivity,
where support for keyboard and mouse that have precise inputs are essential. The
software for a personal data assistant, as the name suggests, helps the user to manage
personal data like contact information, email, etc. Mobile operating systems were
not designed for responsiveness or fluidity with a rich user interface (UI) comprising
both a touchscreen and other sensors.

iii. Internet: Along with the development of the Internet, especially after Web 2.0, the
network contains a lot of information that must be searched, organized, retrieved
and transmitted to users. More and more people are living with the Internet instead
of just browsing the web. More and more people are involved in development,
including information contribution, application development and social interactions.
Mobile operating systems cannot be stand-alone, but must be open systems.
iv. The aforementioned technological advancements have resulted in a variety of
different competing mobile operating system solutions in the market driven by
different players. Some of these players include Google's Android, Apple's iOS,
Nokia's Symbian, RIM's BlackBerry OS, Samsung's Bada, Microsoft's Windows
Phone, Hewlett-Packard's webOS, and built-in Linux distributions such as Maemo
and MeeGo for n ' to name a few. The following subsections review six of the most
popular mobile operating systems.

3
 BORIS NSANKONG

1. OS Android

The Android operating system for mobile devices is developed by the Open Handset Alliance,
led by Google. Google unveiled the Android distribution in November 2007. Most of Android
core is released under the Apache open source license, but a large amount of software on
Android devices (such as Play Store, Google Search, Google Play Services, Google Music, and
so on) are owned and licensed [15].

As of 2011, Android has the largest installed base of all mobile operating systems, and as of
2013, its devices also sell more than Windows, iOS, and Mac OS devices combined [13]. As
of July 2013, the Google Play store had published over one million Android apps and over 50
billion downloaded apps (PHONEARENA, 2014). A developer survey conducted between
April and May 2013 revealed that 71% of mobile developers develop for Android [4].

Android uses a Linux kernel with top level APIs written in C and applications are normally
programmed in Java and run with Dalvik Virtual Machine (DVM) using just-in-time
compilation to translate Java byte code to dex code Dalvik [3]. This combination brings secure
features like efficient shared memory management, preemptive multitasking, Unix user
identifiers (UIDs), and file permissions with Java's type-safe concept. Each Android app runs
in a separate process under a unique UID with separate permissions, which means that the apps
typically can't read or write each other's data or code. The kernel sandbox apps of each, so
resources and data must be shared explicitly. To make it possible to share resources between
applications, the required permissions must be statically declared when installing the
application. The Android system asks the user for consent at this point; a dynamic authorization
granting mechanism at runtime is not possible and would lead to increased security
transparency [20].

4
 BORIS NSANKONG

Figure 2: Architecture of Google's Android operating system [3]

The Android platform contains the following layers [3]:

i. Linux kernel: Android relies on Linux for basic system services such as security, memory
management, process management and so on.

ii. Android Runtime: it provides a set of base libraries that support most of the functionality of
the base Java libraries. Android virtual machine known as Dalvik VM relies on Linux Kernel
for some underlying functionality.

5
 BORIS NSANKONG

iii. Libraries: Android includes a set of C / C ++ libraries. These libraries are exposed to
developers through the Android app framework. They include media libraries, C system
libraries, area manager, 3D libraries, SQLite, etc..

iv. Application Framework: Provides layer access to framework APIs used by core applications.
It allows developers to use the components.

2. iOS

iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc. and distributed
exclusively for Apple hardware [6]. It is the operating system that powers the iPhone, iPad,
iPod Touch, and Apple TV. It is open source and proprietary and built on the open source
Darwin core operating system. iOS has promoted a new style of user interaction for small
screens, limited input devices, especially direct manipulation. Touch gestures such as swiping,
touching, touching and holding and pinching are used to control interface elements on the
screen and perform interface operations. Accelerometers support additional physical gestures
such as shaking and rotating the orientation of the device [15].
iOS is derived from Mac OS X and shares its core Darwin base, an open source POSIX
compatible UNIX operating system. In this sense, iOS can be considered a variant of UNIX.
iOS is made up of four abstraction layers: Core OS, Core Services, Media and Cocoa Touch6
[15, 20]:

i. Core OS: The kernel of the operating system, which includes basic low-level features: system
support—threads, sockets, IO, DNS, math, memory—general security services—certificates,
private/public keys, encryption—external hardware management, bluetooth, and sound and
image processing.

ii. Core Services: Fundamental system-services, which are subdivided in different frameworks
and based on C and Objective C. It includes basic application services, including accounts,
contacts, networking, data management, location, calendar events, store purchasing, SQLite,
and XML support.

6
 BORIS NSANKONG

iii. Media Layer: Considers the high-level frameworks, which are responsible for using graphic
(support for 2d and 3d graphics), audio- and video technologies.

iv. Cocoa Touch: The UIKIT, which is an Objective- C based framework and provides a
number of functionalities, which are necessary for the development of an iOS Application like
the User Interface Management. It also includes APIs for building applications—multitasking,
touch input, notifications, interface views, and access to device data. Figure 3 below depicts the
ioS architecture.

Figure 3: Architecture iOS d'Apple [3]

As in subsection 1 described above, iOS also uses a similar sandboxing model [1]. In addition,
applications must be signed with an issued certificate. This ensures that the app has not been
tampered with and guarantees runtime to check if an app has become unreliable since it was
last used. Uneven Android apps, iOS apps can only be signed with official certification [2].

3. Windows Phone

Windows Phone is a proprietary smartphone operating system developed by Microsoft [10]. It

is the successor to Windows Mobile, although it is incompatible with the earlier platform [24].
It was released in 2010 as Windows Phone 7. Various hardware manufacturers, including HTC,

7
 BORIS NSANKONG

Samsung, LG, and Nokia, are developing Windows Phone devices. In February 2011, Nokia
and Microsoft announced that Windows Phone 7 would be the primary operating system for all
future Nokia smartphones. Windows Phone 7 received a major upgrade (7.5 Mango) in
February 2011, adding features that were missing from the original version. The second
generation of Windows Phone 8 was released in October 2012 [15].

The architecture of Windows Phone 7 required a hardware layer that met Microsoft's minimum
requirements: an ARM7 processor, a DirectX 9 compatible GPU, 256MB of RAM and 8GB of
flash memory, a 5-megapixel camera, a capacitive screen multi-touch, an A-GPS,
accelerometer, compass, proximity and light sensors and six physical buttons: back, start and
search; camera, power / standby and volume [23]. The Windows Phone kernel handles low-
level device driver access as well as basic security, networking, and storage. Three libraries: an
app template for managing apps, a UI template for managing UI, and a cloud integration module
for web search through Bing, location services, push notifications, etc., above the kernel [15].
Application-oriented APIs include Sliverlight, XNA, HTML / JavaScript, and the Common
Language Runtime (CLR) which supports C # or VB .Net applications. The kernel itself is a
proprietary design of the Windows operating system for integrated devices that combines
Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R3 and Windows Embedded Compact 77. Windows Phone 8
replaced the Windows CE kernel with a Windows NT-based kernel. This is in part intended to
mimic the Windows 8 desktop operating system, allowing easier porting of applications
between the two operating systems. Figure 4 below illustrates the architecture of Windows
Phone.

8
 BORIS NSANKONG

Figure 4: Microsoft Windows Phone architecture [23]

4. Blackberry OS

BlackBerry OS is developed by Research in Motion (RIM) for their BlackBerry smartphones

and tablets [20]. BlackBerry OS 1.0 debuted in January 1999 as part of the BlackBerry pager /
email devices. One of the main strengths of BlackBerry devices is their ability to handle
corporate email messages. The BlackBerry OS supports the Java Mobile Information Device
(MIDP) profile and the wireless application profile (WAP). These protocols are used to
synchronize through a BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) with calendar push, task, contact,
email, and exchange of notes. BES provides the capacity, security, remote wipe, and other
features businesses need for mobile devices that access internal networks and / or corporate
data. The BlackBerry OS also provides the BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS), a customer-
specific method of allowing Internet access to individual users [15].

9
 BORIS NSANKONG

This allows consumer customers to access personal emails, browse the web, etc. BlackBerry
OS originally supported applications written in C ++. One type of application is a Mobile Data
Services (MDS) runtime environment, which is a container for processing and displaying data,
typically taken from a user's corporate system. Java ME has also been supported and has been
used to create applications with access to operating system APIs that provide access to standard
user interface widgets and various operating system services [15]. BlackBerry OS 6 and OS 7
were designed to encourage application development. Programming is now done in Java for
phones, and in C ++ or web languages for the PlayBook tablet. APIs supported by the operating
system include browsing, messaging, phone, PDA applications, LDAP, user interface, http,
math, cryptography, and more. A native C ++ development kit has recently been made available
to support development on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. BlackBerry PlayBook OS 1.0,
which is only available on the PlayBook, has upgraded to QNX. QNX is a UNIX microkernel
that was originally developed in the 1980s and was later reused for embedded devices. RIM
bought QNX in April 2010, with plans to transition its upcoming smartphones to OS 10 and
QNX. Blackberry 10, as well as the Z10 and Q10 Blackberry smartphones, were released in
January 2013 [15].

5. webOS

webOS is a proprietary mobile operating system running on the Linux kernel, originally
developed by Palm, which was released with the Palm Pre [8]. The webOS interface is built
around 'maps', individual applications that are presented one by one and can be traversed
horizontally like a deck of cards to move applications from the foreground to the background.
On startup, a launch screen with a grid of icons is presented, along with a quick launch bar
containing commonly used applications. The user interface supports standard touch and gesture
controls such as touch, drag, and pinch. The webOS Core OS is built on a Linux 2.6 kernel,
with device drivers, an ext3 file system, network communication, and Bluetooth. Above that is
the UI System Manager, which is responsible for managing windows, UI, and applications. The
Mojo JavaScript framework provides application-oriented APIs and the webOS Service
Manager provides access to location, phone, camera, etc. WebOS applications are programmed
in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and use Mojo and webOS services for user interface and
operating system support [15].

10
 BORIS NSANKONG

Figure 5: Simplified webOS architecture [17]

2.6 Symbian OS

Symbian is a mobile operating system developed by Nokia. It was originally the EPOC graphics
operating system for PSION portable devices [12]. In 1998, PSION, Nokia, Ericsson, and
Motorola created Symbian OS. Currently, however, the Symbian Foundation is managed and
maintained by Nokia alone, providing access to Symbian through standard license agreements.

The original Symbian operating system was divided into two parts: a main operating system
supporting a device family reference design (DFRD) and a user interface based on the DFRD.
This made it possible to create different user interfaces for different types of devices or for
handsets from different manufacturers, but with a common operating system kernel. Examples
include the Pearl user interface used by Nokia and the Quartz user interface used by Ericsson.
This strategy was later abandoned and different user interfaces were transferred to different
companies.

The latest version of Symbian is Symbian OS 9.5, released in March 2007. The following
versions include Symbianˆ1, Symbianˆ2 and Symbianˆ3, which was released in 2010.
Symbianˆ3 includes modern mobile operating system technologies like 2D graphics
acceleration and 3D, tactile interaction, and user interface widgets. In May 2011, an update for
Symbianˆ3, Symbian Anna, was officially announced, followed by Nokia Belle (formerly
Symbian Belle) in August 2011. Symbian OS follows a familiar architecture. It is built on a
nanokernel / microkernel kernel with basic localization and screen drivers. Core services sit

11
 BORIS NSANKONG

above the kernel and include low-level libraries, multimedia frameworks, XML, file system
management, and hardware abstraction [15]. OS services provide communication, telephony,
networking, multimedia and graphics. These support an Application Services layer with
application-oriented APIs for development and an interface layer to manage the user interface.
A JVM (Java ME) is also included on top of the OS service layer. Nokia provides SDKs for
Symbian development that support a variety of languages, including C ++ and Java.

12
 BORIS NSANKONG

References

[1]. Apple1, Environment.” Available: http://developer.apple. com/ library /ios/

#documentation/iphone/conceptual/ iphoneosprogrammingguide/ Runtime Environment/
RuntimeEnvironment.html

[2]. Apple2, (2014): “iphone in Business Security Overview.” Available: http:// images. apple.
com / iphone/business/docs/iPhone Security.pdf

[3]. CMER, (2014): “Mobile Operating System” Centre for Mobile Education and Research

[4]. DEVECO, (2013) “Developer Economics Q3 2013 Analyst Report” available at

http://www.visionmobile .com/DevEcon3Q13

[5]. Fitzek F. and Reichert F. (2007): “Mobile Phone Programming and its Application to
Wireless Networking” available at http://www.springerlink. com/content/978-1-4020-5968-1

[6]. Gartner (2010): “Gartner Says Worldwide Mobile Phone Sales Grew 35 Percent in Third
Quarter 2010; Smartphone Sales Increased 96 Percent” Gartner, Inc. available at
http://www.gartner.com/it/ page.jsp?id= 1466313

[7]. Holwerda T., (2013): ‘The Second Operating System Hiding in Every Mobile Phone”
available at http://www.osnews.com /story/27416/ The_second_ operating_system_ hiding_
in_every_mobile_phone

[8]. HP, (2010): “HP Confirms Discussions with Autonomy Corporation plc Regarding
Possible Business Combination; Makes Other Announcements.” Available at
http://www.hp.com/ hpinfo/newsroom/ press/2011/ 110818b.html?mtxs=rss-corp-news.

[9]. Java, (2014): “Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition” Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition Datasheet.
Available at www.sun.com/software

[10]. Koh, D., (2010): “Q&A: Microsoft on Windows Phone 7” CNET Asia, CBS Interactive.

[11]. Li X., Wang Y., Wu J., Jiang K. and Liu B., (2012): “Mobile OS Architecture Trends”
Intel Technology Journal, volume 16, issue 4, pp 178-198.

13
 BORIS NSANKONG

[12]. Lunden, I. (2011): “Symbian Now Officially No Longer Under The Wing of Nokia,”
Available at www.moconews.net.

[13].Mahapatra, L. (2013): “Android Vs. iOS: What’s the Most Popular Mobile Operating
System in Your Country?” available at http://www.ibtimes.com/ android-

vs-ios-whats-most-popular-mobile-operating-system- your-country-1464892.

[14]. Microsoft, (2014): “Silverlight 5 System Requirements - Compatible Operating Systems

and Browsers”. Available at http://www.microsoft.com/ getsilverlight /locale/en-us/html/
installation-win-SL5.html.

[15]. NCSU, (2014): “Mobile Operating System” available at http://www.csc.ncsu.edu/ faculty/

healey/csc563 /notes/ch-06.pdf

[16]. Okediran O. O., Omidiora E. O., Olabiyisi S. O. and Ganiyu R. A. (2013): “ An M-voting
System Framework for Electronic Voting”, Proceedings of the Second International
Conference on Engineering and Technology Research., 2:241-245.

[17].Palm, (2014): “Overview of webOS - Palm webOS Architecture” available at

https://developer.palm.com /content/resources/develop/overview_of_webos/overvie w_of_
webos_palm_webos_architecture.html

[18]. PHONEARENA, (2014): “Android's Google Play beats App Store with over 1 million
apps, now officially largest” available at http://www. phonearena.com/news/Androids-Google-
Play-beats- App-Store-with-over-1-million-apps-now-officially- largest_id45680

[19].QT, (2009): “Qt 4.4 Whitepaper” available at http://qt.nokia.com/files/pdf/qt-4.4-

whitepaper

[20]. Renner T. (2014): “Mobile OS - Features, Concepts and Challenges for Enterprise
Environments” SNET Project Technische Universit ̈at Berlin

[22]. Silverlight, (2008): “FAQ: Silverlight for mobile

Available at http://silverlight.net/learn/ mobile. Aspx

[23]. Windows, (2011): “Windows Phone 7 Platform Introduced to iPhone Application

14
 BORIS NSANKONG

Developers”, available at http://windowsphone.interoperability bridges.com/articles/chapter-1-

windowsphone-7- platform-introduced-to-iphone-application-developers.

[24]. Ziegler, C., (2010): “Microsoft talks Windows Phone 7 Series development ahead of
GDC: Silverlight, XNA, and no backward compatibility”. Engadget, AOL.

[25]. Zubarev P. and Krinkin K. (2010): “QtMobility: Qt API Extensions for Mobile
Development” 7th Conference of Open Innovations Framework Program FRUCT. Saint-
Petersburg, Russia, available at http://osll.spb.ru/repositories/entry/osll/events/fruct7/
fruct7_qtmobility .odp?rev=68

15