# Smartphone OSs question **URL:** \ **Category:** Bar Sport\ **Created:** [June 11, 2010, 8:22pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/smartphone-oss-question/1031 "2010-06-11T20:22:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![system](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/system/32/1140315_2.png) [@system](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 8:22pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/smartphone-oss-question/1031/1 "2010-06-11T20:22:21Z")
Hi, I know the following question is hard to be answered and i really dont want to start fights here, so if anyone here is a faithful believer in one of the options, step back please and make room for those who try to discuss... As i am about to buy myself a new Cellphone i would love to hear your opinion. When i bought my last one there has only been Windows Mobile for what i need.. but nowadays there are other OSs as well. Yet the problem is that i dont find good pages that can help me decide on what to get since 90% of the pages are made by fanatics and i guess that technical freaks lik us here can do a better job.. so what would you say about the follwoing: Windows 6.5 Windows 7 WebOS Android I leave Apple out since i dont plan to spend money worth several months of work for a phone ;0) The topics i would like to ask for being discussed are: Overall impression, GPS functionality (Is there navigation software available? Geocaching? ... ), Programmability: is there a way of writing my own stuff? Lastly: Qhat do you think about privacy and Android? Is there a problem? Cheers ---
**Author:** ![system](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/system/32/1140315_2.png) [@system](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 8:43pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/smartphone-oss-question/1031/2 "2010-06-11T20:43:04Z")
> what would you say about the following > Windows 6.5 > Windows 7 > WebOS > Android I would say "Strange list, missing out the predominant smartphone OS" (by a very large margin). ---
**Author:** ![system](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/system/32/1140315_2.png) [@system](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 8:43pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/smartphone-oss-question/1031/3 "2010-06-11T20:43:06Z")
As a developer, I truly believe that WebOS or Android is the way to go. I chose Andoid because I have worked a lot with Java, and it does not hurt that it is open source. > **[Package Index  |  Android Developers](https://developer.android.com/reference/packages.html)** As for GPS: [android.location  |  Android Developers](http://developer.android.com/reference/android/location/package-summary.html) You get geocoding and reverse geocoding served on a silver plate. You asked for fatihful believers to stay out. I have to admit that I am a believer, but I do not fit in the 'faithful' category. When something makes you believe, it is quite different from when you choose to believe. Android \<3 🕶 ---
**Author:** ![bld](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/bld/32/213882_2.png) [@bld](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/bld)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 8:43pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/smartphone-oss-question/1031/4 "2010-06-11T20:43:19Z")
If you want gps, I would say that android is the way to go... Haven't tested gps in it myself, but the video's of it looks awesome! I only got an old HTC Magic, so i can't test the new gps either :-[ ---
**Author:** ![system](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/system/32/1140315_2.png) [@system](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/smartphone-oss-question/1031/5 "2010-06-11T20:58:01Z")
AWOL: I wouldnt use any other smartphone OSs since those are, from what i know, the most abundant and hence those with the most software? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/system/32/1140315_2.png) [@system](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 9:05pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/smartphone-oss-question/1031/6 "2010-06-11T21:05:30Z")
> the most abundant Not even close. You missed Symbian. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/system/32/1140315_2.png) [@system](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 9:09pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/smartphone-oss-question/1031/7 "2010-06-11T21:09:57Z")
Symbian is a nogo for me as it is, as far as i know, NOkia exclusive and i would never buy one of theirs. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/system/32/1140315_2.png) [@system](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 9:14pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/smartphone-oss-question/1031/8 "2010-06-11T21:14:06Z")
```cpp NOkia exclusive ``` :-? Perhaps you've never heard of Fujitsu, Mitsubishi, Sony Ericsson, Sharp or Samsung? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/system/32/1140315_2.png) [@system](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 9:15pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/smartphone-oss-question/1031/9 "2010-06-11T21:15:01Z")
As i said: As far as i know. I thought it was.. well.. i will have a look at Symbian then as well, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/system/32/1140315_2.png) [@system](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 9:21pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/smartphone-oss-question/1031/10 "2010-06-11T21:21:05Z")
I've never even heard of Symbian before.. I was going to recommend Android, but I guess if that's a choice I don't know enough to input :P. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/system/32/1140315_2.png) [@system](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 9:31pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/smartphone-oss-question/1031/11 "2010-06-11T21:31:01Z")
> I've never even heard of Symbian before It outsells RIM about 2:1, and Apple better than 3:1 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/system/32/1140315_2.png) [@system](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 10:48pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/smartphone-oss-question/1031/12 "2010-06-11T22:48:00Z")
> **[Smartphone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smartphone)** > > A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone functions and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from older-design feature phones by their more advanced hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, which facilitate wider software, access to the internet (including web browsing over mobile broadband), and multimedia functionality (including music, video, cameras, and gaming), alongside core phone functions such as voice calls and... 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/system/32/1140315_2.png) [@system](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 2:53pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/smartphone-oss-question/1031/13 "2010-06-25T14:53:11Z")
Andorid or Symbian. ---
**Author:** ![cr0sh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/67e7ee/32.png) [@cr0sh](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/cr0sh)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 3:29pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/smartphone-oss-question/1031/14 "2010-06-25T15:29:51Z")
I would say Android or Symbian too; both are very open and easy to develop for. I know for Android, if you want to do dev work on the OS itself, you have to either get a dev phone ($$$) or root a regular phone, which causes you to lose certain features on the network until you revert to normal user (or at least, this is the case with my G1; I am not sure about recent stuff - I don't even play in that arena - my G1 is a phone for me, not a dev environment). For normal application (java) development, though, a regular Android phone works fine. I don't know anything about Symbian, other than it is linux-based and pretty open, both pluses to me! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/system/32/1140315_2.png) [@system](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 3:57pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/smartphone-oss-question/1031/15 "2010-06-25T15:57:41Z")
> I don't know anything about Symbian, other than it is linux-based Even the thing you know is wrong :🙂 Symbian is based on Psion's earlier EPOC. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/system/32/1140315_2.png) [@system](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2021, 6:22pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/smartphone-oss-question/1031/16 "2021-05-06T18:22:50Z")
Closed on May 6, 2021, 6:22pm UTC