Mobile OS designs are flawed, says Nokia's exec

While speculation continues to surround Nokia's future plans for mobile operating systems--be it the adoption of Android or Windows Phone 7--the company's VP of design, Marko Ahtisaari, has described current OS developments as being flawed.

The VP stated that Apple's iOS, Google's Android and its own Symbian OS had each failed to fully master the requirements for a smartphone OS. "The smartphone market is so hot at the moment that we are under the illusion the dominant design for a smartphone OS is already in existence. This is not the case. We are still looking for a design for what a mobile computing device could be."

However, Ahtisaari would appear to be directing these remarks at operating systems that were suitable for powering mobile computing platforms, and not smartphones--a fine distinction for many consumers.

Commenting on MeeGo, the Nokia exec said that this OS--which it is jointly developing with Intel--had the capabilities to go further than current OSs.

"We must look harder for an interface on a large device without physical controls. Touchscreens are immersive and require full attention. We need to combine an immersive display with single-handed use. This could be done through voice interaction."

This insight, albeit with little detail, provide some indication as to Nokia's intentions that MeeGo will run on PC, tablets and mobile computing devices, but probably not any further down the handset range to feature phones.

Company insiders are still adamant that S40 and Symbian have vital roles to play in the future success of Nokia's wide range of handsets.

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