Mobile Operating System (also known as Mobile OS, mobile software platform or a handheld OS) is software that consists of programs and data which controls the system and performance in a mobile electronic device. It has similar function to Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux on the Desktop PC or Laptop / Notebook but with more simple technology. Usually, it is installed on smart phones, PDAs, and tablet computers. Here are the common mobile operating systems used by mobile devices:
Android operating system manufactured by Google Inc. This is an open source and Linux-based OS and widely used by the manufacturer of mobile phones today such as Samsung, HTC, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, LG, Huawei, etc. The latest version of this operating system is the Android 3.2 also known as Honeycomb.
BlackBerry OS from Research In Motion (RIM). This is a closed source and proprietary so the manufacturer does not allow the outsider to get involved in developing this operating system. For your information, BlackBerry OS or abbreviated BB OS is different from the BlackBerry Tablet OS since the Blackberry OS designed only for Blackberry smart phones. The recent version of this operating version is the OS Blackberry 7.
iOS is the operating system from Apple Inc. which is also a closed source and proprietary. The iOS made by Apple to support only for products made by Apple such as iPhone and iPad. The latest stable version is the iOS 6.0.2 released in December, 2012.
Symbian OS from the Symbian Foundation (open public license). It consist of several mobile Symbian OS that does not fully support each other; S60 3rd edition, S60 5th edition, S80, UIQ, MOAP, and Symbian 3/Anna. That operating system are still being developed and based on Symbian 3.
Windows Phone from Microsoft which is also a closed source OS and proprietary. Windows Phone previously named Windows Phone 7 series and was first introduced in February 2010. Further development of the series has a code name of Mango. The latest version will be the Windows Phone 8 that has been released in October, 2012.
MeeGo is the operating system of The Linux Foundation (open source, GPL). Meego is a joint project between Nokia and Intel, but later discontinued by Nokia, and there are only two mobile phones made by Nokia that use the Meego OS; Nokia N9 and Nokia N950 (only for the developer).
Bada OS of Samsung Electronics (closed source, proprietary) is used only on hardware made by Samsung and is only found in the Wave series phones. There will be also the upcoming mobile operating systems that have been rumored to be available this year namely Tizen OS (by Samsung), Firefox OS and Ubuntu OS (by Canonical). [IS]
