New Symbian C++ Features Include Google Maps & Social Sharing; Sure Signs That The Mobile Device & The PC Worlds Are Melding » mobilegroove

The end-game is all about providing mobile users choice and plenty of it. Symbian “gets it”, which is why the new features which it unveiled at the Symbian show are perfectly aligned with what the mobile Web is all about. Take the news that Google have developed and made available a free native Symbian C++ version of Google Maps for smartphones. This move gives us further proof that mapping and location are key components of our mobile experiences.

The Symbian C++ incarnation of Google Maps will enable a rich user experience while giving application providers the room to weave in their own services. The client is available for download for Nokia’s S60 3.0 platform on Symbian OS-based phones and was demonstrated this week at the Symbian Smartphone show in London. Nokia owns a more than 50 percent stake in Symbian.

It’s interesting that Google rates such a top-notch spot in the services offering. After all, Nokia has their own mobile search application and well proven their navigation and mapping prowess (a capability they can only grow through the Navteq acquisition). But competition between providers – Google and Nokia – or anyone else for that matter can’t be the focus when we’re talking about Symbian. Looking at the bigger picture, this news gives me a clear sign that the mobile device – like the PC – won’t play favourites; it will let the users decide.

And users will certainly have a lot to choose from. Indeed, Symbian execs are spot on when they call the new additions “ground-breaking.” Take the two new technologies, ScreenPlay and FreeWay. (ScreenPlay is the new graphics architecture that will power a rich visual experience, providing users with a big-screen experience that doesn’t eat battery life; FreeWay is the new IP networking the company said will deliver super-fast download speeds, high-quality audio/video streaming and crystal-clear VOIPcalls.)

And then there’s a nod to mobile social networking. Social.FM announced that its social music service will be rolled out in a Sybian C++ version, meaning users can access music stored on their PCs and socially connected music libraries while on the move.

Overall, it’s a clever combination of features and functionality that will help the industry take a huge step towards the often promised, but never delivered, mobile Web.

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 18th, 2007 at 5:40 pm and is filed under Mobile Search, Usability. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.