Introduction to mobile Operating System Platforms

(OSPs): Symbian, Android, iOS, Blackberry and

Widows

Lecturer contact :
Dr. Drake Patrick Mirembe, PhD
E:[email protected]
Website: www.drakemirembe.org
 Presentation Overview

1. What is an Operating System?

2. Generic architecture of a typical mobile
Operating System
3. Operating system differences
 Architecture
Design
4. Background on mobile OS market share
 Why each is popular in the different parts of the
world
 Computer system components
• Application programs
Database systems, business programs
• Systems programs
Operating system, compilers, editors, loaders, utilities
• Hardware
Memory, CPU, arithmetic-logic unit, various bulk
storage, I/O, peripheral devices
 What is an Operating System?
An operating system is a program
that acts as an interface between
the user and the computer
hardware and controls the
execution of all kinds of programs

OS high level components

 Applications
 Middleware
 Kernel
 What is an Operating System?
Functions of an OS
• Memory management
• Keeps tracks of primary memory - what part of it are in use by
whom, what part are not in use.
• Decides which process will get memory when and how much.
• Allocates the memory when a process requests it to do so.
• De-allocates the memory when a process no longer needs it or is
terminated.
• Processor management (process scheduling)
• Keeps track of the processor and status of processes. The program
responsible for this task is known as traffic controller.
• Allocates the processor (CPU) to a process.
• De-allocates processor when a process is no longer required.
 What is an Operating System?
Functions of an OS
• Device management through drivers
• Keeps tracks of all devices through the I/O controller.
• Decides which process gets the device when and for how much
time.
• Allocates the device in the efficient way.
• De-allocates devices.
• File management
• Keeps track of information, location, uses, status etc. The
information is organized in directories called a file system for easy
navigation. The file system has files and other directories.
• Decides who gets the resources.
• Allocates the resources.
• De-allocates the resources.
 What is an Operating System?
Functions cont.
• Security
It prevents unauthorized access to programs and data.
• Control over system performance
Records delays between a request for a service and the response
from the system.
• Job accounting
Keeps track of time and resources used by various jobs and
users.
• Error detection
Produces dumps, traces, error messages, and other debugging
and error detecting aids.
 What is an Operating System?
Functions cont.
• Coordination between other software and users
Coordination and assignment of compilers, interpreters,
assemblers and other software to the various users of the
computer systems.
• Establishes a user interface
• GUI
• Terminal
• Executes and provides services for application software
• Allows convenient usage – abstracts the complexities
• It is a control/management tool
 What is an Operating System?
Kernel

• Is a computer program at the core of a computer's

operating system that has complete control over
everything in the system
• The kernel code is always resident in memory and
facilitates interactions between hardware and software
components.
 What is an Operating System?
Kernel
• First program of the OS loaded, remains in the main
memory and handles the rest of the startup
• Handles memory, peripherals, file, storage disks and
input/output (I/O) requests from software translating
them into data-processing instructions for the central
processing unit.
 What is an Operating System?

OS location
• ROM chip in hand held/mobile devices
• Hard disk in most computers
 What is an Operating System?
OS Evolution
Serial Systems

1950

Serial Processing
• Type the program or use a punched card
• Convert the punched card to a card reader
• Submit to the computing machine
• Take printouts from a printer
• Programmer ready for the next program
 What is an Operating System?
OS Evolution
Serial Systems

1950 1960

Batch Systems

Batch processing
• Process programs in a batch
• Carrier carried the batches between the rooms
(card reader, execution and printer)
 What is an Operating System?
• Multi Programming
OS Evolution batch Systems
• Time sharing &
Serial Systems Real-Time systems

1950 1960 1970

Batch Systems
Multi programming
• Execute several programs simultaneously on a single processor
Time sharing(Multi tasking)
• CPU is shared by different processes hence “Time sharing” the time
slots are defined by the system
• The scheduler selects a job in a queue and switches the CPU to that
job
• When the time slot expires the CPU switches to another job
 What is an Operating System?
• Multi Programming
OS Evolution batch Systems
• Time sharing &
Serial Systems
Real-Time systems

1950 1960 1970 1980

Batch Systems • Personal/Desktop

• Multi-processor
Multi processor (Tightly coupled) • Network/Distributed Systems
• A number of processors executing their jobs in parallel
• Shares the computer Bus, clock, memory and peripherals
Distributed (Loosely coupled)
• Each processor has its own local memory
• Processors communicate through with each other through various lines
eg. High speed buses
 What is an Operating System?
• Multi Programming
OS Evolution batch Systems Web-Based
• Time sharing & Systems
Serial Systems Real-Time systems

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990

Batch Systems • Personal/Desktop

• Multi-processor
• Network/Distributed
Web based Systems
• Allows users/devices access applications and information stored
remotely or in a different part of the web
• Are interfaces to distributed computing systems like cloud and utility
computing systems
 mobile OS
The mobile Operating System is a newer concept which
has been built on what the Computer operating systems
have accomplished over the years.

Enabling factors
• Hardware
• Software
• Internet
 Wearables OS
 Wearable OS is designed or refactored to satisfy the
requirements of wearable computers
 These wearable devices vary significantly from one to
the other and are also different from the
requirements of both desktop and mobile devices

Operational modes:
• Standalone mode
• Need a wireless connection to an Internet-connected
device, typically a smartphone
 Wearables OS
 Wear OS (previously Android wear)
 Apple watchOS
 Xiaomi
 Fitbit OS
 Garmin OS
 Tizen for wearables

Properties
• Support Bluetooth, WiFi, 3G and LTE
• Hardware manufacturers Asus, Broadcom, Fossil, HTC, Intel, LG,
MediaTek, Imagination Technologies, Motorola, New Balance,
Qualcomm, Samsung, Huawei, Skagen, Polar, TAG Heuer, Suunto, and
Mobvoi.
Wearable technology
Forms of wearable technology

• Smart watches
• Smart jewelry
• Fitness trackers
• Implantables
• Head mounted displays
Future of wearable technology
 Generic architecture of a
typical mobile OS
Layered architecture
1. Applications
 Native
 Extended
2. Middleware
 Interface between applications and the kernel
 Enables communication and data management
3. Kernel
 Facilitates interaction between hardware and
middleware
Generic architecture of a
typical mobile OS
 Operating system differences:
Overview

Symbian Ltd Google, Open Apple Inc Blackberry Ltd Microsoft

Handset Alliance
June 1997 September 2008 June 2007 January 1999 November 2010

Nokia Belle 2012 Android 12 iOS 14 Blackberry OS 10.2 Windows Mobile 6.5

Proprietary Free and Open Proprietary Proprietary Proprietary

source
C++ C, C++, Java, Kotlin C, C++, Objective C & C++ C#, C++, C
Swift
Nokia Ovi Store Google Play App Store Blackberry World Microsoft Store

CodeWarrior, Android Studio, Xcode, Appcode, Momentics, RIMs Visual Studio

Carbide Intellij IDEA, Eclipse, Atom JDE, RIMs JDE plugin
Visual Studio for Eclipse
.SIS, .SISX .APK .IPA .ALX, .COD .XAP, .APPX

SQLite SQLite, Core Data, SQLite SQLCE, SQL Azure,

Firebase, Realm Perst
 Mobile Operating System
differences: Architecture
• User experience and battery life
• Cloud readiness HTML 5 capability, Web Apps accessed through
APIs, Cross platform capability, Performance and Cloud integration
• Mobile device Fragmentation
• Openness to players of the mobile ecosystem
• Manufacturers OEM make/sell the devices
• Service providers – Networks and Value Added services
• End users (customers)
• ISV develop commercial applications
• Developer communities – Develop apps and contribute to
the development and evolution of the operating system if it
is open sourced
 Mobile Operating System
differences: Architecture
OS share more similarities than differences
• Development language, IDE and SDK
• App stores
• Packaging
• Persistence storage and Database support
• Multi tasking & 3D support (Touch screens & sensors a must)
• Device based payments (Google Pay, Apple Pay, Microsoft
Pay)
• Security

Solutions
• Hybrid model cross platform development– Build once
run everywhere
Mobile Operating System
differences: Architecture
 Mobile Operating System
differences: Design

UI Design focus
• Responsive design
• Smooth UI/UX
• Consistent network access
• Mobility – eg Apple continuity
 Mobile Operating System
differences: Design
UI Design closer look at Android and iOS
Top of screen navigation
 Mobile Operating System
differences: Design
Primary navigation destinations
 Mobile Operating System
differences: Design
Secondary navigation destinations
 Mobile Operating System
differences: Design
Back pattern
 Mobile Operating System
differences: Design
Call to action button
 Mobile Operating System
differences: Design
Search
 Mobile Operating System
differences: Design
Action menus
 Mobile Operating System
differences: Design
on - action menus
 Mobile Operating System
differences: Design
Selection controls
 Mobile Operating System
differences: Design
Selection controls: single choice
 Mobile Operating System
differences: Design
Date picker
 Mobile Operating System
differences: Design
Tabs
 Mobile Operating System
differences: Design
Default fonts
 Mobile Operating System
differences: Design
App icon size and shape
 Mobile Operating System
differences: Design

Software design
• User experience and battery life
• Cloud readiness Mobile device Fragmentation
• Openness to players of the mobile ecosystem
 Mobile Operating System
differences: Security
Mobile devices frequently contain or have access to sensitive
information and must be protected.

Common threats
• Physical attacks – Device loss, Theft and Disposal
• Logical attacks – through network or other
communication devices
• Logical attacks on the devices – Rootkits, malicious
software and configurations
 Mobile Operating System
differences: Security
Android
Has 5 security layers
• Security at the OS level (Linux kernel)
User based permission model
Secure mechanism for Inter Process Communication
Process isolation & ability to clear any unnecessary insecure parts of
the kernel
• Mandatory application sandbox
Uses a user based protection to create an application sandbox that assigns
a unique user Id to each app which runs its own process
• Secure inter process communications
Each app is run at a different process level through the kernel which does
not allow apps to interact with each other and only assigns them limited
access to the Android OS
 Mobile Operating System
differences: Security
Android
• Application signing
Provides user permission based access control and provides a list of
permissions on the first page of the APK so the app may use them
installation
• Application defined and user granted permissions
This feature gives a set of file system permissions so that each app has its
own files and except a developer explicitly exhibits files to another
Android app, files generated by one app cannotbe read or changed by
another one
If an app needs to access data for another app it must be given access
custom permissions
 Mobile Operating System
differences: Security
iOS
• Provides APIs to perform security features for developers
• iOS applies Common Data Security Architecture CDSA to
perform security features like desktop counterpart and
file access permissions on low level properties which by
the BSD kernel (Unix OS based kernel)
• CDSA handles higher level functionality eg encryption,
security data storage and authentication
• Users have no control on permissions access required by
an app for doing its job
• Has a sandbox with limited permissions required by third
party apps to run and in the sandbox each app runs
separately from other apps on the iOS
 Mobile Operating System
differences: Security
Windows
• Utilizes the same security mechanisms of Windows 10 OS
• Windows Hello for business – this provides an identity
and access control features that only authorized users
could access data and resources. It has a secure multi
factor authentication MFA deployment and employs a
companion device offering the PIN and biometric
authentication methods
• Windows information protection – this technology
enables an automatic data separation for preserving
corporate information when they are being shared with
personal data and apps
 Mobile Operating System
differences: Security
Windows
• Malware resistance – this technology applies multi
layered protections such as start up processes, hardware
devices and app platforms for reducing the threats of
malware.
 Mobile Operating System
differences: Security
Blackberry
• Platform security – verifies authenticity of the blackberry
OS and its apps when the OS boots up. This provides
resilience and security protection against tampering,
malware and data leakage
• Secure device management – provides the highest level
of security for users that can use a specific space for their
personal data usage without sacrificing their security
needs. It also permits easy access to all the personal
accounts and maximizes productivity while seamlessly
securing the data.
 Mobile Operating System
differences: Security
Blackberry
• Data in transit security - BlackBerry supports a full range
of encryption and authentication approaches, allowing
the users to safely connect their devices to networks
using the BlackBerry infrastructure, VPN, and Wi-Fi.
• App security - This technology assigns to all apps in their
own sandboxes for securing against data leakage and
malware
Background on mobile OS
market share
 Background on mobile OS
Android market share
• Largest number of devices to choose from
• Frequently updated
• Large number of application available
• Excellent UI
• Multi-tasking
• Free developer tools
• Expandable memory
• Affordable
• No restrictions on applications
• Phones are available from every service provider
• Large community
• Cloud storage (Google cloud)
• Open source
 Background on mobile OS
market share
iOS
• Excellent UI
• Apple validates applications
• Consistent UI across devices
• Easy app development due to low
fragmentation
• Less heat generation due to effective
battery usage
• Easy communication better apple devices
• Multi tasking
• Security – apps are validated
• Device ecosystem
 Background on mobile OS
market share
Blackberry
• Secure and excellent Integration with
company email systems Windows
• Built in support for Windows Office
suite
• Excellent home screen status
 Background on mobile OS
market share
Windows
• Quality Build Phones With Exceptional Design For
Everyone
• Seamless Email And Social Media Integration
• Microsoft Integration and
Support
• Consistency Across All
Devices
• Offline Apps eg. Maps
• Expandable storage
• Microsoft Integration and Support
 Background on mobile OS
market share
Symbian
• Allowed impressive battery life.
• Required lower hardware
requirements.
• Low power consumption and high
processing performance.
• Easy corporate email integration
and highly secure communication