Nokia, the world's top mobile phone maker, expects the role of the Linux operating system in its product portfolio to increase as the role of its Internet-focused devices grows. Linux has had little success on cellphones so far mainly due to the lack of calling functionality. Nokia hopes to change all that in the coming mobile phone models.
Nokia has used Linux for years in its Internet tablets, large phone-like devices used to access Internet on the go, but it lacks calling functionality. Nokia hopes to expand that calling functionality range and believes that the role of Linux will grow.
Linux is an open source operating system which is available to the public to be used, revised and shared, which means it has a large developer community which could result in more attractive programs and lower costs for Nokia.
Right now, Nokia cellphones are built on the Symbian operating system well ahead of competitor Microsoft's Windows Mobile in market share.
Nokia's cellphone maker competitors Vodafone, Motorola, NTT DoCoMo, Samsung Electronics, Huawei and LG Electronics, have also joined Linux alliances and also plans on a cellphone built on the Linux Open Source platform.
