Symbian^3 introduces several new features that enhance communication, connectivity, multimedia, graphics, security, and the overall usability of Symbian devices. These features benefit application developers, operators, and device manufacturers by making it easier to create feature-rich applications and devices.
The major new features supported from Java Runtime 2.1 for Symbian onwards are:
Graphics hardware acceleration
Symbian^3 devices support hardware-accelerated rendering for 3D graphics. This significantly improves performance for the Mobile 3D Graphics API. In addition, on Symbian^3 devices, Java Runtime 2.1 provides improved performance with MIDlets that mix 2D and 3D graphics. For more information about how hardware-accelerated rendering works with Java UI APIs, see section Graphics hardware acceleration.
Single tap touch interaction
To provide a more immediate and direct user experience, Symbian^3 devices use only single tap for touch interaction. To activate a UI component, the user needs to tap it only once. There is no separate tap required to first focus the component. For more information about how this feature impacts MIDlet UIs, see section Touch UI.
HDMI support
Symbian^3 devices support High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) for playing back audio and video and viewing still images on an external device, such a TV or computer monitor. HDMI provides improved data performance and is ideal for streaming high-definition audio and video. For more information about how HDMI works with MIDlets, see section HDMI playback.
The major new features supported from Java Runtime 2.2 for Symbian onwards are:
Mobile broadcasting (DVB-H)
The Symbian^3 platform supports mobile broadcasting of television and other services. The Mobile Broadcast Service API is bundled with the Mobile TV software suite and requires the Nokia Mobile TV headset DVB-H. For instructions on how to use the Mobile Broadcast Service API in your MIDlet, see section Mobile broadcasting (DVB-H).
NFC
The Symbian^3 platform supports Near Field Communication (NFC) for short-range wireless communication between devices. The Contactless Communication API allows MIDlets to use the NFC capabilities of the device. For instructions on how to use the Contactless Communication API in your MIDlet, see section Contactless communication.
For more information about the new features in Symbian^3, see Symbian platform on Forum Nokia and Symbian^3 on the Symbian Foundation Web site.