Symbian launches new multimedia OS

Symbian's new OS is promising to support new and upcoming features on your mobile

Symbian has announced its new mobile phone operating system - Symbian's OS 9.5.

The new OS, announced today at CTIA Wireless 2007 , promises to expand on existing features packed into your mobile, as well as bring in support for new and improved multimedia features and the latest mobile technologies.

Symbian's OS 9.5 will support different standards of mobile digital TV, including Digital Video Broadcasting - Handheld, and the Japanese-only Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting - Terrestrial standard ISDB-T . There is no mention of Digital Multimedia Broadcasting ( DMB supports. Symbian 9.5 will also enable mobile phone operators to offer ocation-based services, giving you the abiity to find the nearest restaurant or pub on your handset.

The OS also supports a range of digital camera features including support for digital and optical zoom lenses, red-eye reduction, in-camera photo editing and the ability to stitch images together to create panoramas. Symbian 9.5 even supports tilt sensors, enabling you to align the camera with the horizon for perfectly level pictures.

"We are driving the market by anticipating consumers' mobile lifestyle changes - this means enabling even richer experiences and seamless multi-tasking," said Jørgen Behrens, executive vice president at Symbian. "Symbian OS 9.5 delivers on the promise of bringing the smartphone lifestyle to the mass market."

While the company claims it has a 70 per cent market share with its operating systems, research released last week said Symbian's user base would drop to less than half by 2012.