Nokia Symbian OS is Better Than Android: 5 Facts To Prove My Point

This article is specially for those who wants to buy Nokia devices but due to some recent news and popularity issues, they choose Android.

It is really controversial to say that Nokia OS is better than Android but some facts can never be ignored. And I have 5 such facts for discussion which proves Nokia Symbian Devices are better than Android.

You may deny my claim due to some recent news about fallback and decreasing popularity of Nokia but after reading this article, you will agree with me. You may have heard that Nokia sacked down 10,000 employees and also shut down some plants. But this does not mean that Nokia symbian OS is not as well as compared to Android. It just means that Nokia devices are not being sold as much as earlier and this depends on many facts like marketing is one of these.

You can’t ignore that Android is Google’s product, so it is gaining more marketing due to Internet services monopoly. But I am leaving this matter for discussion for another time. Now, my aim is to make you face the reality which matters the most to you.

Now a days, many people are going for Android devices (among which Samsung is #1 in smartphones), but it does not mean that you too should buy an Android device if you want to have a smartphone. You should judge your need and then you should decide which will suite you better. I am discussing 5 evergreen facts that will tell you why Nokia OS, Symbian is still better than Android.

1. Full Control Over Applications

Control over Applications on AndroidNokia Symbian OS provides you full control over all applications. Applications in Nokia Symbian devices don’t start running in background without your knowledge like Android devices. There are lots of unwanted applications in Android which runs in background and you can not stop them permanently without uninstalling them.

If you are already a S60 user, then you may better understand by installing ‘whatsapp’ in your Nokia S60 device. You will see that whatsapp will restart every time automatically when you will close that. This is the problem you will face for many applications in Android. If you want to use any application then it is okay for but if you don’t need some applications and even if then they start running, this may irritate you. But in Nokia s60 devices, you have full control of all applications.

2. Battery Backup

Battery Backup on AndroidNokia smartphones have much more battery backup as compared to Android devices. And you will need to start finding out solutions for extending your battery back up in Android devices. If you have any doubt about this, you can confirm from Android device holders.

One more thing they say that Android devices gives so many features so it has to use more battery power. At this point, I am agreeing but can anyone tell me why these devices are sucking our battery life with some applications which we do not require? And even if they are providing more features for sucking battery then I will say that they need to do some work on extending battery life too.

So, if you are a always connected to Internet then be aware that you will need to recharge your device battery atleast twice a day. But all Nokia Symbian devices does not use so much battery power. If you want to use a smartphone for all useful applications then you should go for Nokia Symbian OS devices, because they too have all useful and basic applications which you need and have more battery life for using them.

3. Enough Internal Memory

External Memory on AndroidThis is the best thing about Nokia, I realized just after switching to Android. Same applications, have larger size for Android devices as compared to Android devices. And therefore, same applications need less internal memory in Nokia Symbian smartphones for installation. This makes internal memory enough for installing more application in Nokia smartphones.

While more than 70% of Android devices have low internal memory problems after installing few applications. So, even on having uncountable Android applications you can use only few at a time.

4. Privacy and Security

After all, your privacy comes first! Would you like to give access of your private messages to some one else ? As Android is an open source operating system and therefore anyone can create any application easily. So, it is very difficult to identify the untrusted applications. These applications may be very dangerous to your privacy and can steal your private information for misuse.

5. No Unwanted Data Cost

If you have a data plan on your Android device then many background applications starts sucking your data too, just like battery. As many applications start running in background, and some of them are applications which uses internet data. These applications will start charging you unwanted data cost. But Nokia devices does not use internet without your permissions. They use internet data only when you use any application which uses internet data.

All these are the facts you can’t ignore even after increasing popularity of Android devices. So, I will not recommend you to go for Android devices or Nokia devices. I will just say that judge your requirements and then decide which is best for you. I hope this article will help you to think about Nokia smartphones once again.

This post is written by Sandeep Chaudhary, who is the founder of www.myblogbest.in. You can visit his site for all latest phones and Android tablets information. Also, he loves hacking them and write cover tricks on his blog.

Click Here to Leave a Comment Below 32 comments
Anand - August 24, 2012

Nice parody!

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    Rohit Langde - August 24, 2012

    To each, his own.

    Reply
    Bikas - August 25, 2012

    This is the most hilarious post I’ve ever read in years. If it isn’t a parody, then what the hell it possibly be?
    Oh wait, actually the author has gone into the Android hype and never actually tried the phone. Or who else can say any of the above points. As far as battery and internal memory is concerned, my low end Galaxy Y performed much better than the great Nokia 5230, let alone compare with high end Androids.

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      Rahul - August 26, 2012

      Again you said a hilarious thing. A low end android is again a pain in the ass. You got whole world to visit, but you got no fuel, flat tyres, broken suspentions,
      In real comparison, low ram, low memory, slow processor, toy like display. Something like the China Mobile.
      Whole life you will be dying to optimize your phone so that u dont get lags in everything. Can u play Even Angry Birds without lags? Bad or simple display is no fun in android again.
      So you see What I am trying to say…. In nokia 5230 or 5800 you are limited with respect to apps with regard to Android. But again a low end android in worst, it just makes you handicapped. I am saying this coz I am also a Galaxy ACE user, higher thn galaxy y but again a low end device.
      I still have a 5235 and an ACE, how can you say ur galaxy y gives greater battery!!! It means ur nokia battery needs replacement.

      Reply
Anthony Tetzloff - August 24, 2012

The Nokia apps are nowhere near as good. But whatever I guess.

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    Rohit Langde - August 25, 2012

    Absolutely and that’s the reason behind diminishing popularity of Nokia.
    Author has tried to put forward his opinion from completely different point of view. There maybe some users who just wants to get their work done irrespective of sophistication of apps.

    Reply
    Sandeep Chaudhary - August 25, 2012

    Thank you Anthony Tetzloff for stopping here. I am totally agree with you. And accepts that this point goes into the favor of Android devices. But there are lots of other points too and we can’t ignore them. I just tried to share those points.

    Reply
diganta - August 25, 2012

You are right… I am running my HTC explorer on low memory and battery life sucks.

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Pritam - August 25, 2012

This is a dilemma that you have big screen, rich graphics killing games but you don’t have enough battery backup to play them. you are just trolled by android then

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    Sandeep Chaudhary - August 25, 2012

    Hi Pritam, it really sucks !! It is like to leave a passionate smoker in a room full of cigarettes but without lighter :p

    Just joking. Use any brightness controller, keep wifi and data connection off whenever not required and use advanced application killer if you are not using all these already. They will definitely boost up your device battery back up.

    Reply
      Pritam - September 3, 2012

      Thanks for your Suggestions I have Implemented some of these and saw a 25 % increase in the battery life.

      Reply
        Sandeep Chaudhary - September 30, 2012

        It’s our pleasure that these tips helped you.

        Reply
Achyut Banerjee - August 25, 2012

just dropping a few cents of my here. i’ll go point wise like the author.
1. Android keeps apps opened in “caches” for easier and faster access of the same. It is the necessity of some apps to BE OPEN in background. apps dealing with Social network, servers, etc need to be updated to keep you informed about the latest in what it’s dealing.

2. UTTERLY AND EXTREMELY personal opinion. depends on what cell you use. what (and how many) apps you use. how long you use. Whether you are rooted or not. if yes, have you done away with the bloatwares or not.what brightness, sync option and many small thingies you set. Symbian is not battery efficient, it simply LACKS the ability to utilize the battery backup. u just cannot compare the battery usage style of a Penta-core Tegra Droid with a 680 MHz or a single mediatek 1GHz, can you?

3. Heard of installing apps to external memory??or you are STILL using a 2.1 eclair??…werid stand with nothing to backup, so nothing to say. ‘

4. Whatever the app accesses, is clearly enumerated in an enlisted form before you install the application. Google does double check and also has introduced bouncer recently to deal with this.

5. This is same to the point 1 of yours. I have a gut feeling you want a FEATURE phone more than a smart phone. 😛
BG data IS ESSENTIAL. think of a case when a friend tagged you. do you want the ping 6 hours later when you open the app??or do you want it instantly?? for instant pings, feeds, etc, u NEED these apps to work in background. 🙂

ANDROID is something that you can MOD to your hearts content and make your cell look like the way YOU want. I have ported the P940 firmware to P970. can you do that??? 😛
Custom ROMs, Loads o’ apps, flexibility to the extreme that u’ll go crazy, newer builds like ICS and JB are plain awesome. Symbian was crazy and non-flexible untill the Anna update. However, the 808 is pretty snappy. and there are actually some unique things about Symbian, like having the ONLY single core cell which can encode full HD (1920*1080, not 1280*720) @30 Fps. and a few perks of it;s own. Symbian died a long ago. it just lived due to the stellar hardware support of Nokia.
regards,
achyut.

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    Sandeep Chaudhary - August 25, 2012

    Nice to see someone taking part so much interestingly in this discussion. First of all thank you Achyut Banerjee for giving your precious time and reply to my post. I really like your effort for writing lengthy and worthy comment.

    About the topic,

    I am using both devices (android and symbian s60 based) and loves both operating systems. Both have their own specialties. And don’t think that these are only my personal views. You can see that everyone is liking only one thing about androids, that is Applications !!! I too love android applications. But what about all other points ?

    You are saying that all applications ask us permission for accessing our privacy, but what you think how many guys read all those permissions ? Honestly, I never read them if application is useful for me. And do you know that more than 33% android applications asks more permission than they require.

    About battery backup, if we have to save battery we need to reduce brightness to minimum level and then what ! In sunlight, we can’t see anything else other than our face in phone screen. Or what is other way to increase battery life ? I think we have to close background data, and then android device is just like simple feature phone.

    About memory, I accept that in latest android versions we can install applications in memory cards, but not at all ! We can’t install all applications in memory cards.

    About booting, Can we boot our android device in warranty period without losing its warranty? If not then we have to bear some unwanted applications for a year.

    Kindly tell me if I am wrong !

    Reply
      Achyut Banerjee - August 26, 2012

      Am not at home now for lengthy reply. But about the last point of rooting, I actually CAN root, yet retain the warranty. I have a few cells, most of them were high ends in yesteryears, like a Sammy Droid, an optimus black, two old xperias (x10 mgini and the original x10)

      Reply
      Achyut Banerjee - August 26, 2012

      Well an not at home, so cannot give answers to all of those, yet about rooting, I actually CAN root, yet claim your warranty. I have a few Droids and most of them can be reflashed bank to the condition where it is impossible to tell that it was tired before. I got my motherboard replaced for the Xperia x10 when it got fried. And this it’s possible for most of the Droid out there. I have a Sammy Droid, an optimus black, two xperias (X10 and x10 mini) and a lumia. I can unroot and claim warranty for the Droid I mentioned. you can confirm for HTC s from someone.

      Reply
kriz - August 25, 2012

this comparison is very good and seems to be perfect but android have big plus point with the Google Play Store/Android market … I’m using android since 12 months , me too unsatisfied with it..felt Symbian is much better Nokia Store should provide more free apps and make the Belle OS bit more faster so that there is no comparison rather they can com-beet ..

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    Sandeep Chaudhary - August 25, 2012

    Hi Kriz, it’s my pleasure that you find this comparison good. And you have said something appreciable that nokia store should provide more free and advanced applications, then symbian will be much better than android due to all other factors going into symbian’s favor.

    Reply
Mayank - August 25, 2012

In my opinion, Its a small defeat of just Symbian Devices and not Nokia overall.
Because Lumia is here to make Nokia rich (also Microsoft too).

There is another reason for Symbian’s diminishing popularity.
Take this into consideration.
Symbian (Specifically the S60 models) is altogether different from Android and iOS.
Android is based on Linux kernel for which applications can be easily made. It is an OS for Android just like Ubuntu, Fedora and others.
iOS is based on (dunno which kernel) maybe Mac kernel (sounds silly). Same type of kernel is used (I might be wrong) for Mac’s OS’es like Lion etc. There are advanced kernels for which applications can be made or ported wheras this does not hold true for Symbian.
Symbian is not an OS which can handle modern applications easily.
It is difficult for developers to port or create the same application for Symbian than for Android or iOS.

I hope you’ll are able to understand my point.
Sorry for bad explanation but I still lack in-depth knowledge about these kernel thingy’s. But still I am able to understand the problem behind Symbian’s diminishing popularity.

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    Sandeep Chaudhary - August 25, 2012

    Thank you Mayank for adding some extra points to our knowledge.

    Reply
      Mayank - August 26, 2012

      My Pleasure… 😀

      Reply
ofyd - August 25, 2012

So true…using my htc desire and battery life is just awful. Background apps cannot be permanently switched off. Bt nothing can compare 2 androids supreme UI nd apps. For dt alone i think i’ll rather stick with android.

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    Sandeep Chaudhary - August 25, 2012

    @ofyd yup, I too like android applications very much, but hate that they sucks battery very fast.

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xyz - August 25, 2012

yes but anroid has lower down ur popularity there r no apps u have like anroid i m having nokia phone but there r no games available for my nokia n8

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    Sandeep Chaudhary - August 25, 2012

    @xyz hey dude I am not Nokia employee, I just share my personal views here, so don’t blame me :p

    But your comment also shows that from the users point of view, nokia lacks only applications as compared to android.

    Reply
ak - August 26, 2012

In my Opinion, Symbian is the Best. nokia
should pay attention about adding more free useful apps in nokia market. It will rock

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Ajitem Sahasrabuddhe - August 26, 2012

A very interesting article and at the same point, a very very controversial topic chosen by the author. Debates on topics of mobile OS supremacy can last for a long time. In course of reading the comments, I came across a comment where the nature of apps and kernels were mentioned. Having used most of the Mobile OSes personally, I would like to share my opinion on why Symbian failed in competition to newer modern day OSes.

If we consider all of the Mobile Operating Systems currently available in the market, the following names come to our mind.

Andriod (Since 2008 – ), iOS (2007 – ), Symbian (1997 – ), Windows Mobile(2000-2010) and Blackberry OS (1999 – ). Recently, Windows Mobile was replaced by the new version of Windows OS, namely Windows Phone (2010 – ).

Out of all the above Operating Systems, only the Symbian OS is based on its own unique kernel (Microkernel). The Blackberry OS (up until version 10) was a Java based operating system. Having acquired QNX recently, Blackberry 10 will be a brand new os with a brand new kernel.

Coming to Android (UNIX Like Kernel) and iOS (XNU) the most popular OSes out there with the best looking and large number of applications had a big advantage when compared with Symbian.

1. Steep Learning Curve: Symbian demanded programmers to use Symbian-C++ which is a complicated dialect of C++ to learn. Andriod used Java based libraries and iOS used Objective C. It was therefore a lot more easier for developers to make apps for Android and iOS platforms than for Symbian.

2. Point #1 coupled with the fact that current developers had experience in building Java based apps/ UNIX / Objective C / and the Mac OS meant that a lot of them skipped working for Symbian and jumped over to Android and iOS since it was easy for them to design and deploy apps from which they could earn money.

3. Absence of a proper App Store: The biggest blow to the Symbian OS was the absence of a proper App Store or a Marketplace. The Nokia Store, erstwhile Ovi Store was introduced in 2009 whereas the Android and iOS had their own Marketplace/Store since Day 1.

App Store / Marketplace is very crucial when it comes to deployment of an app. It ensures secure purchases and downloads. It allows people to rate and makes it easier for both for developers and users to use apps. The most important feature is that in a marketplace every user can pay for an app in his/her currency. Due to the absence of a marketplace on Symbian platform, users were forced to download applications from rogue forums or directly from the developers website. In case of paid apps, people suffered due to currency exchange rates.

Although Nokia phones had a stabler hardware and good support, people were left disappointed. This ultimately led to the fall of the Symbian OS. Now with the introduction of Windows Phone 8, the race for the crown of the mobile os has become more fierce and it is now very hard (read impossible) for Symbian to make a full recovery.

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    Rohit Langde - August 26, 2012

    App Development is a crucial point you have came up with Ajitem. I never knew the real reason behind the lack and slowness in development of Symbian. I always thought it was some revenue model or something which wasn’t enough to motivate developers.

    It could be summarized as Nokia always overlooked the flaws and didn’t evolve with time to cope up with the standards and novelties offered by competitors.

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MANSOOR AHMED - August 28, 2012

I USED BOTH SYMBIAN 9.4 (NOKIA 2530) AND ANDROID 2.3.7 (HTC WILDFIRE S & SONY XPERIA U). I AGREE WITH AUTHOR FULLY. HOWEVER USING ANDROID IS FUN (IF YOU ARE NOT MUCH CONCERNED ABOUT PRIVACY OF YOUR DATA) WHEREAS, NOKIA IS BETTER AS SERIOUS BUSINESS PHONE.

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Sandeep Chaudhary - August 28, 2012

Hi Mansoor Ahmed, you hit the a valuable comment. As you are also using both devices at the same time, find these differences very easily. From the view point of serious users or business purposes, Nokia symbian is really a better OS than android.

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Sandeep Chaudhary - August 29, 2012

Update:
Finnish mobile manufacturer, Nokia has announced the roll out of the Nokia Belle Refresh upgrade for Nokia N8, E7, C7, C6-01 and X7 smartphones. The long awaited Nokia Belle refresh upgrade offers improved options, personalisation choices and performance for the devices.

Firstly, with this update the devices will get a brand new browser which now is armed with improved support for HTML5 web apps. Secondly, there will also be a new set of home screen widgets added to the menu for all the devices for enhanced functionality.

There will also be an addition of Microsoft Office Mobile app for all the devices that will offer turbo charged productivity and much enhanced compatibility with other Microsoft based apps as well. There will also be the addition of the all new Nokia Maps Suite 2.0 for better and flawless navigation which has been the key for Nokia Maps so far.
Along with that Nokia N8 owners will also get a few extra imaging-related apps as to do justice to the world’s favorite imaging smartphone alive today, second after the Nokia PureView 808 launch.

Source: themobileindian[dot]com

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