Symbian^5 and Symbian^6 coming 2011 and 2012 respectively. Symbian^3 on ARM Cortex A9

Symbian’s roadmap

Symbian’s future plans

• Symbian^4 isn’t the limit, there’s Symbian^5 and Symbian^6 too! [Hey, maybe we can keep the S60 branded products, just rub out the zeros!]
• Symbian^4 will be ready for multicore support sometime in 2010
• Symbian^3 has kernel support for multicore
• Multicore will achieve better performance with better battery life!
  • Symbian is designed for low power consumption from the ground up and now leading the wave in low power efficiency.
• Symbian^3 is running on dual Cortex A9
  
  • A9 will allow recording of up to 1080p
  • High end 3D graphics accelerator to bring PC-like web browsing [If anything like Maemo 5, I'm stoked!]
• Symbian^3 devices (N8/N98/N87?) available from 2010 [H2, i.e. July onwards]
• Dual Core devices will be shipping in 2011
• Symbian^4 devices will be available from 2011 [H1]
• Symbian^5 devices will be available from 2011 [H2]
• Symbian^6 devices will be available from 2012 [H1]

Some other interesting notes from the roadmap:

• There are 33 Symbian^1 devices so far, from Samsung, Fujitsu, Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Sharp.
• Over 100,000 man years of development
• Over 300,000,000 Symbian devices shipped

Showtime

Symbian^3

• Incremental evolution, but big step forward in User Experience
  • Minimising unecessary taps! [Oh GOD that's frustrating in Symbian^1]
  • Enhanced look/feel in transitions/transparency/fades
  • Multitouch support with gestures swipes and pinches (says in photos and video player…what about browser?)
• HDMI output (confirms N98 HDMI?)
• HD streaming
• Multiple Homescreens
• Multicore

Symbian^4

• Whole new User Experience
• UI will take advantage of next gen graphics
• Application layout will be updated for simpler, streamlined efficient experience [SEE screenshots]
• Suite of applications themselves will be redesigned
  • Messaging will be conversation based (cool…but waiting until Symbian^4?!?!)
  • Calendar integrates email, allowing email responding via calendar UI
• QT becomes standard environment which applications are written on.
  • Simplicity of QT
  • Power of Symbian
  • Cross platform support with maemo?

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