Developer | Android Open Source Project (AOSP) code: Google Modifications: Microsoft Mobile (formerly Nokia) |
---|---|
Written in | C (core), C++, Java (UI) [1] |
OS family | Linux |
Source model | Proprietary software based on open source Android [2] and in all devices with proprietary components [3] |
Initial release | 2014 |
Latest release | Nokia X software platform 2.1 |
Marketing target | Smartphones |
Package manager | APK |
Platforms | 32-bit ARM |
Kernel type | Monolithic (modified Linux kernel) |
Userland | Bionic libc, [4] mksh shell, [5] native core utilities with a few from NetBSD [6] |
Default user interface | Graphical (Multi-touch) |
License | Proprietary EULA; based on Apache License 2.0 Modified Linux kernel under GNU GPL v2 [7] |
Official website | developer |
The Nokia X platform was a Linux-based mobile operating system and software platform originally developed by Nokia, and subsequently by Microsoft Mobile. Introduced on 24 February 2014, it was forked from Android and used on all the devices of the Nokia X family. It was also the next Nokia Linux project after the ill-fated MeeGo.
On 17 July 2014, after the acquisition of Nokia's devices unit, Microsoft announced that no more Nokia X smartphones would be introduced, marking the end of the Nokia X platform within only a few months after its introduction. [8] The phones were succeeded by low-cost Lumia devices under the Microsoft Mobile brand name. [9] Microsoft did not release an Android-based device under their own brand until 2020, in the form of the foldable Surface Duo. [10]
The Nokia X software platform was based on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) [11] and the Linux kernel. [12] Nokia combined Android apps with Nokia experiences (such as HERE Maps, Nokia Xpress and MixRadio) and Microsoft services (such as Skype and Outlook). Nokia officially described the software as bringing "the best of all worlds". It also encompasses features from the Asha platform, such as the Fastlane notification centre. The user interface mimics that of Windows Phone.
The OS has been compared to Amazon.com's Fire OS, which is also based on AOSP.
Google's applications were replaced by Nokia's and Microsoft's. When first released, the Google Play store was not included, with Nokia offering apps from their own Nokia Store. After the v2.1 update in September 2014 users were allowed to install Google Play and various other Google services through third party tools, but if users attempt to install Google services on their Nokia X devices it would usually be "bricked" and would require the Nokia Software Recovery Tool to restore the data. [13]
As of February 2014, 75% of Android apps were compatible with the platform. Nokia noted that developers could port the remaining missing apps in a matter of hours, and in an attempt to encourage developers to contribute to the platform, added compatible Android apps without developer approval. [14]
An SDK was available for the platform, and included an emulator based on the Android emulator. Nokia discouraged developers from using Windows Phone design patterns and encouraged the use of Android design guidelines on the Nokia X. [15] Nokia's VP of developer relations commented that the Nokia imaging SDK would likely be ported to the platform from Windows Phone. [16]
Version | Release date | Based on AOSP (Android) version | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1.0 | 24 February 2013 | API Level 16 (4.1.2 Jelly Bean) |
|
1.1.1 | 25 March 2013 | API Level 16 (4.1.2 Jelly Bean) |
|
1.1.2.2 | 10 May 2013 | API Level 16 (4.1.2 Jelly Bean) |
|
1.2.4.1/1.2.4.21 | 28 July 2013 | API Level 16 (4.1.2 Jelly Bean) |
|
2.0 | 24 June 2014 | API Level 18 (4.3 Jelly Bean) |
|
2.1 | 3 September 2014 | API Level 18 (4.3 Jelly Bean) |
|
A software development kit (SDK) is a collection of software development tools in one installable package. They facilitate the creation of applications by having a compiler, debugger and sometimes a software framework. They are normally specific to a hardware platform and operating system combination. To create applications with advanced functionalities such as advertisements, push notifications, etc; most application software developers use specific software development kits.
Android is a mobile operating system based on a modified version of the Linux kernel and other open-source software, designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Android is developed by a consortium of developers known as the Open Handset Alliance, though its most widely used version is primarily developed by Google. It was unveiled in November 2007, with the first commercial Android device, the HTC Dream, being launched in September 2008.
Nokia phones beta labs is a service in which beta software for Nokia smartphones are available for public download. The service was originally launched as Nokia Beta Labs in 2007 by Nokia for S60-based Symbian devices, and later for the company's Windows Phone-based Lumia line. After the sale of the Nokia mobile devices division to Microsoft, the website was renamed Lumia Beta Apps. It was discontinued in 2015. The service was revived by HMD Global in 2017 for Nokia Android smartphones, allowing members to test Android 8.0 Oreo beta.
A mobile operating system is an operating system used for smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, smartglasses, or other non-laptop personal mobile computing devices. While computers such as typical/mobile laptops are "mobile", the operating systems used on them are generally not considered mobile, as they were originally designed for desktop computers that historically did not have or need specific mobile features. This line distinguishing mobile and other forms has become blurred in recent years, due to the fact that newer devices have become smaller and more mobile unlike hardware of the past. Key notabilities blurring this line are the introduction of tablet computers, light-weight laptops, and the hybridization of the two in 2-in-1 PCs.
Windows Phone (WP) is a discontinued mobile operating system developed by Microsoft for smartphones as the replacement successor to Windows Mobile and Zune. Windows Phone featured a new user interface derived from the Metro design language. Unlike Windows Mobile, it was primarily aimed at the consumer market rather than the enterprise market.
Here Technologies is a Dutch multinational group specialized in mapping technologies, location data and related automotive services to individuals and companies. It is majority-owned by a consortium of German automotive companies and American semiconductor company Intel whilst other companies also own minority stakes. Its roots date back to U.S.-based Navteq in 1985, which was acquired by Finland-based Nokia in 2007. Here is currently based in The Netherlands.
Symbian is a discontinued mobile operating system (OS) and computing platform designed for smartphones. It was originally developed as a proprietary software OS for personal digital assistants in 1998 by the Symbian Ltd. consortium. Symbian OS is a descendant of Psion's EPOC, and was released exclusively on ARM processors, although an unreleased x86 port existed. Symbian was used by many major mobile phone brands, like Samsung, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, and above all by Nokia. It was also prevalent in Japan by brands including Fujitsu, Sharp and Mitsubishi. As a pioneer that established the smartphone industry, it was the most popular smartphone OS on a worldwide average until the end of 2010, at a time when smartphones were in limited use, when it was overtaken by iOS and Android. It was notably less popular in North America.
The version history of the Android mobile operating system began with the public release of its first beta on November 5, 2007. The first commercial version, Android 1.0, was released on September 23, 2008. The operating system is developed by Google on a yearly cycle since at least 2011. New major releases are announced at Google I/O along with its first public beta to supported Google Pixel devices. The stable version is then released later in the year.
Xamarin is a Microsoft-owned San Francisco-based software company founded in May 2011 by the engineers that created Mono, Xamarin.Android and Xamarin.iOS, which are cross-platform implementations of the Common Language Infrastructure (CLI) and Common Language Specifications.
An app store, also called an app marketplace or app catalog, is a type of digital distribution platform for computer software called applications, often in a mobile context. Apps provide a specific set of functions which, by definition, do not include the running of the computer itself. Complex software designed for use on a personal computer, for example, may have a related app designed for use on a mobile device. Today apps are normally designed to run on a specific operating system—such as the contemporary iOS, macOS, Windows, Linux or Android—but in the past mobile carriers had their own portals for apps and related media content.
Sailfish OS is a Linux-based operating system based on free software, and open source projects such as Mer as well as including a closed source UI. The project is being developed by the Finnish company Jolla.
Microsoft mobile services are a set of proprietary mobile services created specifically for mobile devices; they are typically offered through mobile applications and mobile browser for Windows Phone platforms, BREW, and Java. Microsoft's mobile services are typically connected with a Microsoft account and often come preinstalled on Microsoft's own mobile operating systems while they are offered via various means for other platforms. Microsoft started to develop for mobile computing platforms with the launch of Windows CE in 1996 and later added Microsoft's Pocket Office suite to their Handheld PC line of PDAs in April 2000. From December 2014 to June 2015, Microsoft made a number of corporate acquisitions, buying several of the top applications listed in Google Play and the App Store including Acompli, Sunrise Calendar, Datazen, Wunderlist, Echo Notification Lockscreen, and MileIQ.
The Nokia Asha platform was a mobile operating system (OS) and computing platform designed for low-end borderline smartphones, based on software from Smarterphone which was acquired by Nokia. The platform inherits UI similarities mostly from MeeGo "Harmattan", and replaced Series 40 on Nokia's low-end devices. The user interface design team was headed by Peter Skillman, who had worked previously on webOS and the design of MeeGo for the Nokia N9.
Fire OS is a mobile operating system based on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). It is developed by Amazon for their devices. Fire OS includes proprietary software, a customized user interface primarily centered on content consumption, and heavy ties to content available from Amazon's storefronts and services.
The Nokia X2 is an entry-level smartphone which was announced and released by Microsoft Mobile on 24 June 2014. It is the successor of the Nokia X, being the first smartphone running version 2.0 of the Android-based Nokia X platform operating system. The Nokia X family of Android phones was discontinued on July 17, 2014.
Windows 10 Mobile is a discontinued mobile operating system developed by Microsoft. First released in 2015, it is a successor to Windows Phone 8.1, but was marketed by Microsoft as being an edition of its PC operating system Windows 10.
Fira OS is a Linux-based mobile operating system and software platform developed by Fira, a subsidiary of Indonesian electronic giant Polytron. Introduced on January 28, 2016, it was forked from Android and installed on newer Polytron smartphones since 2016.
Human Mobile Devices (HMD), also branded as Nokia Mobile and formally as HMD Global, is a Finnish mobile phone manufacturer. The company is made up of the mobile phone business that the Nokia Corporation sold to Microsoft in 2014, then bought back in 2016. HMD began marketing Nokia-branded smartphones and feature phones on 1 December 2016. The company has exclusive rights to the Nokia brand for mobile phones through a licensing agreement. The HMD brand was initially only used for corporate purposes and does not appear in advertising, whereas the name "Nokia Mobile" is used on social media. In January 2024, HMD rebranded to Human Mobile Devices, and will use their own branding on future devices alongside that of Nokia.
LineageOS is an Android-based operating system for smartphones, tablet computers, and set-top boxes, with mostly free and open-source software. It is the successor to CyanogenMod, from which it was forked in December 2016, when Cyanogen Inc. announced it was discontinuing development and shut down the infrastructure behind the project. Since Cyanogen Inc. retained the rights to the Cyanogen name, the project rebranded its fork as LineageOS.
The preferred license for the Android Open Source Project is the Apache Software License, 2.0. ... Why Apache Software License? ... For userspace (that is, non-kernel) software, we do in fact prefer ASL2.0 (and similar licenses like BSD, MIT, etc.) over other licenses such as LGPL. Android is about freedom and choice. The purpose of Android is promote openness in the mobile world, but we don't believe it's possible to predict or dictate all the uses to which people will want to put our software. So, while we encourage everyone to make devices that are open and modifiable, we don't believe it is our place to force them to do so. Using LGPL libraries would often force them to do so.