Linux To Power 20% Mobile Phones By 2013

Support from the Linux Mobile Foundation, Google's Android initiative, and Nokia's acquisition of Trolltech are seen as fueling the prediction from analyst firm ABI.

Terry Sweeney, Contributing Editor

April 21, 2008

2 Min Read
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It's not a forecast that will leave Symbian and Windows Mobile supporters quaking in their boots, but ABI Research is predicting that about 20% of middle and high-end mobile handsets will be running some form of the Linux operating system by 2013.

The consultancy pointed to a series of market dynamics that led it to this conclusion: growing momentum behind the Linux Mobile (LiMo) Foundation, founded by Motorola, Samsung, and Vodafone and others more than a year ago; Google's emerging Android initiative; and Nokia's support for its tablet-based Maemo OS and its acquisition of Linux app Trolltech.

"Linux OS solutions will be far more cost-effective than incumbent solutions, even when silicon requirements are taken into account, given that a fuller application layer will be included in the standard package and that the burden of customization falls mostly on the independent software vendor," said Stuart Carlaw, a vice president with ABI, in a statement Monday.

Mobile Linux solutions will be a cornerstone of enabling domains that embrace both Web-based applications and blended Web/native applications, the consultancy also predicted. Furthermore, Linux will be central to bringing more content-rich environments to users with mid-range mobile devices. The consultancy also foresees that the framework fragmentation and silicon issues that have constrained Linux's use in mobile applications are moving toward resolution.

A mobile flavor of Linux has its work cut out, given the fragmentation and relative disarray of the mobile OS market. While Symbian thrives in Europe, it's carved out a relatively anemic market share in the U.S., In addition to Windows Mobile and Android, the Apple iPhone remains the biggest wild card in the mix; a new beta of the iPhone software development kit was released late last month, when Apple also said it's planning a firmware upgrade for its popular devices in June.

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About the Author

Terry Sweeney

Contributing Editor

Terry Sweeney is a Los Angeles-based writer and editor who has covered technology, networking, and security for more than 20 years. He was part of the team that started Dark Reading and has been a contributor to The Washington Post, Crain's New York Business, Red Herring, Network World, InformationWeek and Mobile Sports Report.

In addition to information security, Sweeney has written extensively about cloud computing, wireless technologies, storage networking, and analytics. After watching successive waves of technological advancement, he still prefers to chronicle the actual application of these breakthroughs by businesses and public sector organizations.

Sweeney is also the founder and chief jarhead of Paragon Jams, which specializes in small-batch jams and preserves for adults.

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