A lot is going on in the mobile world right now, but as always, it is what's yet to come that is crucial in the long run.
The idea of mobile broadband combined with a smartphone has proved to be hard to live up to, and laptops now come with built-in mobile broadband to give you a real choice when connecting to the Internet on the road. It's slowly starting to look better though, as powerful smartphones with high-resolution displays are increasing in number. However, let's take a step back and look at how the operating systems will evolve in the years to come - the way we see it:
1. Windows Mobile
There's no other operating system we like to give a hard time than Windows Mobile, largely thanks to the Windows CE kernel. Microsoft's best friend is Qualcomm though, and smartphones with a Qualcomm chipset supporting larger RAM chips are now being released. When Silverlight 2 is rolled out on Windows Mobile sometime down the road, you'll get two things: Facebook in an even more interactive way on your smartphone and the need for even more RAM. But as long as Qualcomm can keep up with Microsoft's memory hunger, we won't complain too much.
2. Google Android
Everyone will eventually want a piece of Android in their lineup, and that's how Android will spread rapidly in the years ahead. Better yet, applications will spread just as rapidly, as Android will be like a playground for developers compared to the competing operating systems. While Windows Mobile is growing into becoming an even more advanced platform for the big players, Google Android will eventually offer a vast library of free mashup applications and services.
3. Symbian OS
Symbian is currently undergoing significant changes, and will become the future operating system for mass market cell phones. The recently announced Nokia 5800 touchscreen phone already gives a few clues, but there's a lot more to come. The operating system will receive further enhancements to carry out advanced tasks on cell phones while preserving battery life; and the phones won't cost you a dime with a contract.
4. BlackBerry OS
After getting a new distribution agreement with Brightpoint in place earlier this year, Research In Motion is set to spread BlackBerry OS to all corners of the world. The BlackBerry Storm (with all-touch interface), BlackBerry Bold and BlackBerry Pearl Flip will be released this fall, all representing something new and interesting. The only thing missing for the server-side specialist RIM is to team up with server-side specialist Skyfire to give BlackBerry OS an exciting edge out-of-box.
5. Mac OS X
It's still too early to say what Apple will achieve in the mobile / tablet market, but we think it'll remain a niche operating system mainly dedicated to Apple products and services. Just like every manufacturer will want a piece of Android in their lineup, we think every carrier will want an iPhone in their lineup. Apple is already working on improving its mobile hardware, and has even hinted at taking the matters into their own hands. With better hardware, Mac OS X could have a bright future in the mobile market.
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