Lesson 2: Mobile Operating Systems

A mobile operating system, also called a mobile OS, is an operating system that
is specifically designed to run on mobile devices such as mobile phones, smartphones,
PDAs, tablet computers and other handheld devices. Operating systems for mobile
devices generally aren't as fully featured as those made for desktop and laptop
computers, and they aren't able to run all of the same software. However, you can still do
a lot of things with them, like watch movies, browse the Web, manage your calendar, and
play games. Mobile operating systems combine features of a personal computer
operating system with other features useful for mobile or handheld use, and usually
including a wireless inbuilt modem and SIM tray for telephony and data connection.
Mobile OS software can be divided into two main categories: open and closed. An
open-source operating system allows the original code to be installed on devices for free,
providing manufacturers the freedom to create unique experiences for users. A closed-
source operating system prohibits modification; the original developer of the software has
total control.
The most used smartphone operating systems worldwide are Google’s Android
and Apple’s iOS. Much of Android’s success can be attributed to its commitment to
openness – it was established as an open-source platform in 2007.
When you purchase a mobile device the manufacturer will have chosen the
operating system for that specific device. Often, you will want to learn about the mobile
operating system before you purchase a device to ensure compatibility and support for
the mobile applications you want to use. Listed below are some mobile operating systems
being used by many mobile users worldwide.

Android

Android is a mobile operating system developed by Google, based on the Linux

kernel and designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and
tablets. Android's user interface is mainly based on direct manipulation, using touch
gestures that loosely correspond to real-world actions, such as swiping, tapping and
pinching, to manipulate on-screen objects, along with a virtual keyboard for text input. In
addition to touchscreen devices, Google has further developed Android TV for televisions,
Android Auto for cars, and Android Wear for wrist watches, each with a specialized user
interface. Variants of Android are also being used on notebooks, game consoles, digital
cameras, and other electronics.
 Android has the largest installed base of all operating systems (OS) of any kind.
Android has been the best-selling OS on tablets since 2013, and on smartphones it is
dominant by any metric.

Figure 3.30. Android Official Logo

Source: https://tinyurl.com/y5mqmkop

An android is a robot or synthetic organism designed to look and act like a human,
especially one with a body having a flesh-like resemblance. Until recently, androids have
largely remained within the domain of science fiction, frequently seen in film and
television.

Initially developed by Android, Inc. (a software company located in Silicon Valley),

which Google bought in 2005, Android was unveiled in 2007 along with the founding of
the Open Handset Alliance – a consortium of hardware, software, and telecommunication
companies devoted to advancing open standards for mobile devices. As of July 2013, the
Google Play store has had over one million Android applications ("apps") published –
including many "business-class apps" that rival competing mobile platforms – and over
50 billion applications downloaded.
Android's source code is released by Google under open source licenses, although
most Android devices ultimately ship with a combination of open source and proprietary
software, including proprietary software required for accessing Google services. Android
is popular with technology companies that require a ready-made, low-cost and
customizable operating system for high-tech devices. Its open nature has encouraged a
large community of developers and enthusiasts to use the open-source code as a
foundation for community-driven projects, which deliver updates to older devices, add
new features for advanced users. The success of Android has made it a target for patent
(and copyright) litigation as part of the so-called "smartphone wars" between technology
companies.
The version history of the Android mobile operating system began with the release
of the Android Alpha on November 5, 2007. The first commercial version, Android 1.0,
was released in September 2008. Android is continually developed by Google and the
Open Handset Alliance, and it has seen a number of updates to its base operating system
since the initial release.

Figure 3.31. Android Versions

Source: https://www.temok.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/android-feat.jpg

While most Android releases have candy or dessert-style code names, the first
version of the OS (1.0) that was publicly released in September 2008 did not have a code
name at all, either internally or publicly. It was not until the launch of Android 1.5 that the
OS version got its first public code name: “Cupcake.” The credit for naming Android
versions after sweet candy and desserts has traditionally gone to its project manager,
Ryan Gibson, but his specific reasons for using such a name remain unknown. When
Google released Android 4.4 KitKat, it offered an ”official” statement on their various code
names for versions of the OS, saying, “Since these devices make our lives so sweet, each
Android version is named after a dessert.”
All Android versions have had confectionery-themed code names and each is in
alphabetical order, with the most recent major version being Android 10, released in
August 2019.

Codename Version Number Initial Release Date

Alpha 1.0 September 2008

 Beta 1.1 February 2009

Cupcake 1.5 April 2009

Donut 1.6 September 2009

Éclair 2.0 – 2.1 December 2009

Froyo 2.2 – 2.2.3 May 2010

Gingerbread 2.3 – 2.3.7 December 2010

Honeycomb 3.0 – 3.2.6 February 2011

Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 – 4.0.4 October 2011

Jellybean 4.1 – 4.3.1 June 2012

KitKat 4.4 – 4.4.4 September 2013

Lollipop 5.0 – 5.1.1 November 2014

Marshmallow 6.0 – 6.0.1 October 2015

Nougat 7.0 – 7.1.1 August 2016

Oreo 8.0 - 8.1 August 2017

Pie 9.0 August 2018

Android 10 / Q 10.0 September 2019

Android 11 Public Beta June 2020

Custom ROMs
Android is the world's leading mobile operating system. It also has one of the most
active developer communities. Since Google has made Android open-source, it means
the source code of the operating system (OS) itself is available to developers, and anyone
can make their own version of Android if they know what they are doing.
 This is the reason why the Android OS varies from Google's Pixel devices to
Samsung's OneUI and Xiaomi's MIUI and everything else. This also means that individual
developers can create their own custom versions of Android, also known as custom
ROMs. Developers can create these custom ROMs and add new features and
functionality that aren't available in stock Android.
A custom ROM is an aftermarket firmware production based on the Android source
code provided by Google. A custom ROM replaces your device’s Android operating
system — normally stored in read-only memory — with a new version of the Android
operating system. There are several reasons why many people prefer custom ROMs:
1. Get The Latest Version of Android
This is by far the most popular reason to install a custom ROM. Many
manufacturers never update their older Android phones and tablets or updates
may take months to reach phones thanks to carrier and manufacturer delays. If
you have an older device that isn’t receiving updates anymore and you want to run
the latest version of Android, a custom ROM is just the ticket. CyanogenMod is the
most popular ROM for this purpose — it has its own tweaks, but the base system
is similar to the stock version of Android created by Google. Thanks to
CyanogenMod and other custom ROMs, many older devices that will never be
officially updated can run the latest version of Android.

2. Replace Manufacturer Skin With a Stock Version of Android

Manufacturers like Samsung and HTC “skin” their versions of Android,
replacing the clean look Google created with their own look that’s often more
cluttered and less cohesive. Many people don’t like this but still want to use a
flagship phone like the Samsung Galaxy S4 or HTC One.
You can’t just switch from the manufacturer’s skin to the stock Android look —
sure, you can replace the launcher without installing a custom ROM and even
without rooting, but there’s no erasing all the questionable customizations the
manufacturer has made to the operating system. To get the stock Android look
and replace all the manufacturer’s customizations with the clean Android system,
you’ll need to install a custom ROM.

3. Eliminate Bloatware
When you purchase a phone from a carrier, it often comes packed with
bloatware. NASCAR apps, TV apps, a Contacts app that stores your contacts on
your carrier’s servers instead of on your phone — these apps can clutter your
system and waste disk space. Manufacturers even add their own software before
 the carrier gets to it, so you have two companies each adding their own bloatware
to your phone before it gets to you.
If you want to actually erase these apps from your disk, the best way to do so
is to install a custom ROM. You can disable the apps without rooting, but this won’t
free up the disk space they consume.

4. Add Additional Features and System Tweaks

Custom ROMs offer features not found in stock Android and many tweaking
options you can’t get elsewhere. For example, a custom ROM may allow you to:
 Install skins to customize how your entire Android operating system looks.
 Customize the quick settings menu Android includes to add your own most-
used settings shortcuts.
 Run apps in tablet mode on a phone, using a more full-featured tablet
interface for certain apps.
 Easily overclock your device to make it run faster or underclock it to make
it run slower while squeezing out more battery life.
 Easily enable root access by toggling a system setting.

5. Configure App Permissions

Custom ROMs often include a way to manage Android app permissions, so
you can prevent Facebook from tracking your GPS location and play Android
games without giving them your phone number and other identity information.

While there are many custom ROMs out there, not all of them are stable enough
to be used as your daily driver. Listed below are some of popular custom ROMs available.
1. Pixel Experience
2. LineageOS
3. Evolution X
4. Corvus OS
5. Revenge OS
6. Havoc-OS
7. Arrow OS
8. Bliss ROM
 9. Project Sakura
10. MSM Extended
11. crDroid
12. Paranoid Android

Apple iOS

Apple iOS is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. and
distributed exclusively for Apple hardware. It is the operating system that presently
powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone, iPad, iPod, and
Apple Watch. It is the second most popular mobile operating system globally after
Android.
Apple’s iOS started way back 2005, when Steve Jobs began planning the iPhone.
He had a choice to either "shrink the Mac”, which would be an epic feat of engineering,
or “enlarge the iPod". Steve Jobs favoured the former approach by shrinking the Mac.

Figure 3.32. Apple Devices Using iOS

Source: https://parnamg.info/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/ChooseAppleGiveaway_MF-510x369.jpg
 The operating system was unveiled with the iPhone 2G at the Macworld
Conference & Expo, January 9, 2007, and released in June of that year. At first, Apple
marketing literature did not specify a separate name for the operating system, stating
simply what Steve Jobs claimed: "iPhone runs OS X" and runs "desktop applications.
When Apple launched the iPhone SDK one year later, the name changed to iPhone OS,
shortened now as iOS.
Like modern desktop operating systems, iOS uses a graphical user interface, or
GUI. However, since it is a mobile operating system, iOS is designed around touchscreen
input, rather than a keyboard and mouse. For example, applications, or "apps," can be
opened by a single tap, rather than a double-click. Different screens can be viewed by
swiping your finger across the screen, rather than clicking on open windows.
Since iOS is designed to be simple and easy to use, it does not include several
features found in a traditional operating system. For example, you cannot manage files
and folders like you can in Mac OS X or Windows. You also have limited access to iOS
system settings. Instead of modifying application preferences from within each program,
most settings need to be adjusted within the Settings app. Additionally, while you can run
multiple programs at once, you can only view one open program at a time.
While Apple's iOS provides a more basic user interface than Mac OS X, each new
version adds more features. For example, iOS 2 provided access to the App Store, which
allowed users to download and install third-party apps on their iPhones. iOS 3 added copy
and paste functionality and iPad support. iOS 4 was the first version to support
multitasking and added the GameCenter feature.
Years forward, iOS was growing up and adding new features such as Notification
Center, iMessage, iCloud and Siri. One of the unique features of iOS that does not exist
in other mobile operating systems in 2011 is its personal assistant named Siri. Siri is a
personal assistant and knowledge navigator which works as an application on supported
devices. The service, directed by the user's spoken commands, can do a variety of
different tasks, such as call or text someone, open an app, search the web, lookup sports
information, find directions or locations, and answer general knowledge questions.
Siri is currently only available on the iPhone 4S and later iPhones, the fifth-
generation iPod Touch, all of the models of the iPad Mini, and the third-generation and
later iPads.

Windows Phone

Windows Phone (WP) is a family of mobile operating systems developed by

Microsoft for smartphones as the replacement successor to Windows Mobile. Windows
Phone features a new user interface derived from Metro design language. Unlike
Windows Mobile, it is primarily aimed at the consumer market rather than the enterprise
market. It was first launched in October 2010 with Windows Phone 7.

Figure 3.33. Nokia Devices Powered by Windows Phone

Source: https://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/454774-windows-phone-10.jpg

Windows Phone features a user interface based on Microsoft's "Metro" design

language, and was inspired by the user interface in the Zune HD (a portable media player
by Microsoft). The home screen, called the "Start screen", is made up of "Live Tiles",
which have been the inspiration for the Windows 8 live tiles. Tiles are links to applications,
features, functions and individual items (such as contacts, web pages, applications or
media items). Users can add, rearrange, or remove tiles. Tiles are dynamic and update
in real time – for example, the tile for an email account would display the number of unread
messages or a tile could display a live update of the weather.

Windows Phone features include:

● Cortana, a virtual assistant that originated in the Halo video game,
Microsoft’s counterpart to Apple’s Siri.
● Integration with Microsoft Exchange, SharePoint, Skype for Business and
Office 365 for enterprise environments.
● Threaded messaging.
● Outlook Mobile for email access, with support for multiple email services.
● Internet Explorer (IE).
 ● The Hub, a feature that coordinates personal and online content. For
example, the People Hub for social media connectivity and interconnectivity
and the Games Hub for XBox Live.
● Voice recognition software.
● Bing search engine.

Windows Phone competes mainly with Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android in the
smartphone market. Most Windows Phone hardware is produced by Nokia, and phones
produced under the Lumina name are produced by Nokia regardless of whether they
sport Nokia or Microsoft branding. Other manufacturers of Windows Phones include Acer
and BLU.

KaiOS

KaiOS is the most popular mobile operating system you probably haven’t heard of.
Instead of designing software for full-blown smartphones, Hongkong–based KaiOS
Technologies (pronounced ky-O-S) has exceeded 150 million global users by powering
what it calls the “smart feature phone.” KaiOS is a mobile operating system, based on
Linux, for keypad feature phones.
Under the still little-known name of KaiOS there are hidden many possibilities and
stories. KaiOS is the third most popular system for mobile devices in the world. Based on
data from KaiOS Technologies, the owner of the platform, there are currently over 150
million active devices using this system.
KaiOS is a simple system for mobile devices, which makes an ordinary, classic cell
phone more smart. This is all thanks to the fact that KaiOS provides not only simple
functions such as calling and sending text messages, but also the use of functions known
from smartphones such as apps and GPS. The supporters of the system clearly state-
thanks to KaiOS every feature phone is a substitute for a smartphone enclosed in a small
casing with keys.
The main functions of KaiOS include LTE (on devices with LTE module), GPS, Wi-
Fi and applications, although in a slightly simplified version. Some devices have pre-
installed mobile applications such as: Facebook, WhatsApp, Gmail, Google Maps or
YouTube. They are operated using the physical buttons on the device.
The practical possibilities of the application are in fact a bit simpler than those in
the Android GO Edition. For example, WhatsApp on KaiOS currently offers chat and
sending photos, videos, gifs and voice messages (no voice calls), and Google Maps does
not indicate the full route to the destination. It excludes arrival time but gives general
directions on how to get there. However, the phone on KaiOS system is characterized by
a lot of versatility and provides opportunities that we have not seen before on cell phones.
An additional advantage also in KaiOS is the support in the form of KaiStore, which
allows users to download additional applications. Of course, there are not as many of
these as in Google Play on Android or AppStore for iPhone but this aspect has room for
improvement, because the whole store is developing thanks to the financing of Google
and the KaiOS community creating applications for this platform.
The KaiOS system also provides longer battery lifespan on devices due to an
optimized interface, and offers wireless updates (via OTA). The system itself is relatively
light in terms of hardware consumption and can run on devices with only 256 MB of
memory.
KaiOS will not make your mobile phone a peak of convenience or an alternative or
the for smartphone users. However, it will provide greater comfort of use of a classic
phone and additional functions, which until now were available only on “touchpads” with
Android, Windows or iOS. This OS may be ideal for people who do not want or cannot
afford a smartphone, e.g. due to hard working conditions or a lesser need for a
touchscreen model. It will work well for seniors and many other people who expect great
convenience and versatility from a traditional device. KaiOS is based on Linux and is the
successor to Firefox OS (withdrawn by Mozilla in 2016).

HarmonyOS

HarmonyOS (known as Hongmeng in Chinese) is a family of operating systems

developed by Huawei. It is an Operating System designed for smart devices such as
smart TVs and it has been used as a mobile operating system. It is expected to become
an open-source, free, and microkernel-based distributed operating system. HarmonyOS
is Huawei’s alternative operating system that was created after the company was banned
in the US and lost its Android license.
Unveiled on 9 August 2019, the platform is designed primarily for Internet of Things
(IoT) devices. Version 1.0 of HarmonyOS was first adopted in September 2019 in its smart
screen products launched only in China. Version 2.0 of HarmonyOS was then announced
in September 2020 with support for smartphones, head units, watches and smart TVs.
Bada OS

Bada OS is a proprietary operating system for smartphones, developed by

Samsung and presented in 2009. The name bada which means ocean in Korean, was
chosen to convey the limitless variety of potential applications which can be created using
the new platform. It is one of the most developer-friendly environments available,
particularly in the area of applications using Web services. Samsung Bada also
represents the fresh challenges and opportunities available to developers, as well as the
entertainment which consumers will enjoy once the new platform is open. The first Bada
phone – the Samsung Wave – was launched later on, in 2010.
The marketing strategy of this OS gives an important clue as to what it is all about.
Differentiating itself from existing smartphone platforms, Bada OS emphasizes how cost-
effective it is in relation to its competitors, without compromising on power and
performance. The aim is to develop a new, broad-choice market in smartphones.
The aim of Bada platform is to make smart phone features accessible to everyone,
so that developers can reach larger audiences and the variety and creativity of apps can
be enjoyed by many. They want consumers to have a fun and diverse mobile experience
that really adds value to their lives, by providing them with high-quality application and
mobile services.
Samsung uses Bada OS alongside Android OS and Windows Phone, but in 2012
the development of new smartphones using Bada has been quietly halted in favor of the
more popular Android OS.
Samsung markets all Bada devices under the Wave brand name; similar to how
all of their Android-powered devices are branded under the Galaxy name.

Symbian

Symbian OS is an operating system designed for mobile devices. Symbian was

the leading smartphone platform up from 2003 up until 2010. After that Google's Android
OS took the lead. The core Symbian OS originally provided no user interface. Instead, it
was used as the underlying base for two major smartphone UI platforms: S60 and UIQ.
UIQ (previously called User Interface Quartz) was a pen-based operating system
for touchscreen devices. It was developed by a company called UIQ Technology, which
was owned by Symbian Ltd. and in 2006 was acquired jointly by Motorola and Sony
Ericsson. The Sony Ericsson P800 - the first UIQ phone - was released in the end of
2002. The UIQ history ended in 2008 when UIQ Technology filed for bankruptcy following
the announcements of the open source Symbian Foundation earlier the same year, which
had the S60 as the platform of choice.
The S60 Platform (previously called Series 60 User Interface) was developed by
Nokia, but ironically, Sony participated in the development, too. The pioneering product
was the Nokia 7650 and it launched back in 2002. The platform underwent several major
revisions since then and lately, it's been called Nokia Belle instead of Symbian S60.
Unlike Android OS with its different cosmetic UIs, Symbian UIs ran deeper in the
code and apps written for one of these platforms were not compatible with the other
directly. Visually, the S60 and the UIQ had nothing in common and UIQ was created with
touchscreens in mind.