Term Paper on
Mobile Operating Systems
Submitted to
Amity School of Engineering and Technology

Guided By: Made By:
Ms. Ankur Chaudhary Sagar Nenwani, 6CSE4X
A2305213340

AMITY UNIVERSITY, UTTAR PRADESH
GAUTAM BUDDHA NAGAR
Declaration
I, Sagar Nenwani, student of B.Tech (CSE) hereby declare that the project titled “Mobile Operating Systems” which is submitted by me to Department of Computer Sciences, Amity School of Engineering and Technology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, in partial fulfillment of requirement for the award of the degree of Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science, has not been previously formed the basis for the award of any degree, diploma or other similar title or recognition.

The Author attests that permission has been obtained for the use of any copy righted material appearing in the project report other than brief excerpts requiring only proper acknowledgement in scholarly writing and all such use is acknowledged.

Sagar Nenwani
6 CSE 4 (x)
A2305213486

May 7’ 2016
Certification
This is to certify that Mr. Sagar Nenwani, student of B.Tech. in Computer Science has carried out the work presented in the project of the term paper entitle "Mobile Operating Systems" as a part of First year programme of Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science from Amity School of Engineering and Technology, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh under my supervision.

Ms. Ankur Chaudhary
Amity School of Engineering and Technology, AUUP

Index: i. Declaration ii. Certification iii. Index 1. Introduction to Mobile Operating Systems 2. iOS
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Security
2.3 Other Features
2.4 Jailbreaking
2.5 WWDC 2015
2.6 iOS in the Car 3. Android
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Basics
3.3 Distribution of Android
3.4 Android Wear
3.5 Android TV
3.6 Android Auto 4. Windows Phone
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Basics
4.3 Microsoft Build
4.4 Cortana
4.5 Universal Windows Apps

5. Conclusion

6. References

Introduction
From the beginning of the “computer-age”, there was a huge focus on the software which ran on them. The software which provides an interface to the user, to interact with, and make the full use of the hardware is known as an “Operating System” (abbreviated as OS).
Dating as back as 1970’s-1980’s, companies like Xerox, Microsoft, and Apple developed their own machines, running their respective OSes.
Coming to the modern computing age, those computers have now been miniaturized and their power increased manifold. These mobile devices are nothing less than full-fledged computer machines. The mobile devices today, run their own specially-designed Operating systems, doing almost all the tasks like checking e-Mails, playing games, media consumption etc., which, only a full-fledged desktop could do some years ago.
In this report, we will go through the basics of the modern Mobile Operating Systems, the companies behind them, their fundamentals, and how they have evolved over time.
Some of the most popular Mobile OS are: * iOS * Android * Windows Phone * Symbian * Ubuntu Touch * BlackBerry OS * Tizen * Sailfish OS, etc…

NOTE: Only the first three Mobile Operating Systems will be discussed in detail, to maintain the scope of the project, and also because most of the mobile market is taken over by them.

Introduction: iOS is an operating system developed by Apple and distributed exclusively for its own devices.
Originally, iOS was launched in 2007, along with the first iPhone, but later was extended to work with other Apple devices like iPod and iPad. It can be dubbed as the “first real smart mobile OS”, and is claimed as “The most advanced mobile operating system in the world”.

Basics: iOS is based on a UNIX kernel, same as the one used by Apple’s desktop Operating System, Mac OSX. This Unix kernel provides iOS with best-in-class security from malicious softwares or malicious activities.
Although iOS runs on the same UNIX kernel as OSX, it cannot run native UNIX applications, because Mac OSX runs on Cocoa UI toolkit, whereas iOS runs on Cocoa Touch UI toolkit.

Security:
As mentioned earlier, Apple takes information security very seriously. So, when iOS was first launched, it didn’t even support native third party applications. Developers were asked to build applications which looked like native apps, using HTML, CSS and languages supported by the Safari browser.
But, after some months of the launch of the iPhone, Apple released the iOS SDK, comprising of the tools for making native iOS applications and Apple App Store to distribute those applications. XCode, an IDE (Integrated Development Environment) software was released by Apple which could help developers make apps.
Also, iOS is completely close-source and Apple never provides anyone with the direct access to the root directory of the operating system.
Moreover, the third-party applications are always run in a “sandbox” mechanism, which only allows the application to receive only the data it requires to function correctly, thus preventing theft of data.
Unlike some other mobile OSes, applications on iOS can only be installed using the App Store and cannot be side loaded. This prevents the installation of any malicious application on the device. Whenever a developer submits his application, or updates it in the App Store for distribution, it is thoroughly checked by Apple’s security teams. Only the approved applications make their way to the App Store.
As a security measure, Apple has also boycotted many standard codecs system-wide. For example, the Safari browser in iOS does not support “Flash”, a very popular and standard codec, used for video compression and interactive media. It was found that it contained vulnerabilities which could result in bypassing of iOS’s security measures.
The company also provides regular updates to iOS, in order to patch out any bugs or vulnerabilities, which could be used to bypass the security measures.
Other security measures include Automatic Encryption of data, no system-wide access to any application etc.

Other features:
As mentioned earlier, Apple updates iOS periodically, in order to fix the security loopholes, and add new features to the already functional software. Some of the features present in the current version of iOS, i.e. iOS 7 are: * Control Center
Toolbox for system toggles like Wifi, Bluetooth, airplane mode, rotation lock etc. and other usual activities like music, torch etc. * Notification Center
Drop-down arrangement of incoming alerts, missed notifications and other important information like stocks, weather etc. * Multitasking
It allows switching between multiple apps, also giving applications, the permissions to run in background. * Siri
Siri is Apple’s take at a virtual smart assistant. It can process human speech and do many tasks for the user, like booking appointments, searching locations, gathering information etc. * App Store
Apple is the oldest company to introduce a dedicated app store for users to download their favorite third-party apps. It contains the largest collection of apps in the world. Also, the relative easiness of use of XCode and the standards maintained by Apple, it is one of the best collections of apps in the world. iOS Jailbreaking:
As mentioned earlier, iOS is a completely close-source operating system. Also, it does not give its root access to the user, developer or any application. iOS Jailbreaking is a process of exploiting hardware and software vulnerabilities to gain access to the root of the device.
In 2007, when iPhone was launched, hackers did jailbreaking in order to install third-party apps on the device. But, since the introduction of Apple AppStore in 2008, jailbreaking is done to gain access of the system directories, modify them and break through the limitations set by Apple on the device.
These limitations include: * Sideloading applications not downloaded from the official AppStore. * Unlocking features like Bluetooth file transfer, flash-enabled browser etc., which were originally banned by Apple. * Executing UNIX command line tools to use Terminal. * Applying different theming engines, like modifying looks of device, applying icon packs, changing fonts etc. * And much more…

Legal Implications of Jailbreaking:
According to Apple, jailbreaking is an illegal practice and voids the warranty of any Apple device.
Also, the legal rules and policies of jailbreaking depend on the region it is being practiced. Many countries strictly ban jailbreaking, reasoning it to be infringement of copyright of Apple’s software and third-party apps. Some countries allow jailbreaking in order to execute non-copyright-infringing softwares, mostly in order to bring interoperability with other devices.

The response of an Apple Spokesperson when asked about jailbreaking:
“Apple’s goal has always been to insure that our customers have a great experience with their iPhone and we know that jailbreaking can severely degrade the experience. As we’ve said before, the vast majority of customers do not jailbreak their iPhones as this can violate the warranty and can cause the iPhone to become unstable and not work reliably.”

Current News:
On June 8th 2015, Apple conducted their worldwide Developers’ Conference in San Francisco, CA. Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) was everything rumored, teased and then some.
As for retaining the scope of this report, we will discuss only about Apple’s Mobile Operating System,IOS 9.
There were many new features added to IOS 9, announced in WWDC 2015, Some being: * Music:

* Apple introduced a new feature in its already existing music app that is now one can get unlimited access to music by getting subscription to this app i.e one can download songs to phone and listen them offline

* Maps enhancements

* Support for public transit line, station details with exits and entrance and directions in some major cities. This also includes highlighting popular places nearby like bar, restaurants, stores, gas stations etc. * If a place supports Apple pay it would be highlighted in the map. * Allows support for “follow up the Email”. * The place card includes Wikipedia information for the landmarks highlighted.

* Battery improvements:

* Battery has been a very big issue in iPhones but with the new IOS 9 battery backup of the phone increases upto one hour of additional time before the battery needs to be charged.

* Face down detection for turning off the display, when the display is not needed.

* New low Power Mode: iPhone disables Background App refresh, mail fetch, Motion Effects, and Animated Wallpapers. It also extends the battery life upto 3 hours. This modes automatically shuts down when sufficient battery is there for the phone to work (usually 83%) or when the device is connected to power source. The IOS suggest the user to enter int low power mode when battery percentage is 20%.

* Improvements in Siri:

* Now Siri has a new colourful interface similar to Apple Watch. * Sound removed from Siri activation. * Siri icon updated in Setting * Ask Siri to remind you about things being looked at in the apps like safari,mail,notes and messages.

* Metal
At its WWDC keynote, Apple announced its own graphics API, codenamed Metal. According to the company’s presentation, existing OpenGL ES frameworks have interposed too much overhead between the GPU and the software running on it, leading to inefficiencies and performance loss. Crytek, Unity, Electronic Arts, and Epic Games have all announced support for Metal in their respective engines.

* Swift
At the keynote, Apple also announced its own programming language, based on C, which according to Apple, reduces the size of the code to a large degree, but also enables developers to program applications never thought of before.

iOS in the Car (aka. CarPlay)

CarPlay is a new standard Apple Inc. introduced for its iOS devices to be able to work with manufacturers' built-in in-car systems. CarPlay is available for all iPhones that use the Lightning connector and operate iOS 7.1 or later. It was formally launched to the public on 3 March 2014 at the Geneva Motor Show.
It will replace the stock dash experience in cars. Some of the manufacturers which will support the CarPlay standards are:

Introduction:
Android, Inc. was founded in Palo Alto, California in October 2003 by Andy Rubin, Rich Miner, Nick Sears, and Chris White, to develop, "smarter mobile devices that are more aware of its owner's location and preferences".
In 2005, Google acquired Android Inc. and started developing its own mobile operating system. At that time, the primary objective of Google was to compete with the 2 main juggernauts of the industry of that time, Blackberry, and Windows Phone. But, after the launch of the iPhone in 2007, everything changed. Before 2007, Android was also just like any other Mobile Operating system of its time, with no touch controls, a physical QWERTY keyboard. After the revealing of Apple’s iPhone, engineers at Google immediately began re-engineering Android and subsequently released many versions, the latest being Android 4.4.2 KitKat.

Android was unveiled in 2007, along with the formation of an institution which controlled open-source mobile standards, Open Handset Alliance (OHA).

Basics:
Android is primarily a mobile operating system, based on the Linux-Kernel. It started as an independent company, but then acquired by Google in 2005. It is completely open-source. It is the most used Mobile operating system in the world. Different hardware manufacturers like Samsung, HTC, LG, Sony, Motorola, etc. distribute Android on their smartphones, by modifying it in different ways.
Google releases a new update to Android in every 6 to 9 months, but not all smartphones get that update, due to intervention by device manufacturers and carriers.

Process of Distribution of Android and its Updates:
Being open source, many people criticize android to be “inconsistent” across different devices, especially when compared to iOS. This is due to the presence of a large number of manufacturers of Android devices, as compared to a single manufacturer of iOS devices, i.e. Apple.
To understand the reason of fragmentation and “inconsistency” in Android, let’s first take a look at how is Android distributed and updated:

* Android Wear (and compatible hardware)
Android Wear is an iteration of Android, designed for wearable devices, usually with small displays and low powered specifications, like smartwatches and smart headwear etc. It was announced by Google on March 14’ 2014.
Also, in the event, 3 OEMs, LG, Samsung and Motorola announced their respective smartwatches named “LG G Watch”, “Samsung Gear Live”, and “Moto 360” respectively, running Android Wear.
Android Wear is in its infancy and can do tasks like Google Now notifications, third party notifications, sending and receiving messages, call notifications etc. It is also an important step forward in health tracking, using these devices.

* Android TV
Android TV is a smart TV platform developed by Google, as a successor to its streaming stick, ChromeCast. Running the Android operating system, it will create an interactive television experience by overlaying a 10-foot user interface on top of existing television programming.
Android TV supports a large number of third party apps, containing streaming apps like YouTube, Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon etc., along with android games, some of them specifically built for the large screen.
It will be launched in fall of 2014, along with some OEMs like Sony and Sharp, as set-top boxes and modules, built-in into televisions.

* Android Auto
Android Auto is a telematics standard developed by Google, along with the Open Automotive Alliance (consisting of many automobile companies) to allow mobile devices running Android (version L and later) to be operated in automobiles through the dashboard's head unit.
Android Auto was announced on June 25, 2014, at Google I/O 2014.
The standard will offer drivers control over GPS mapping/navigation, music playback, SMS, telephony, and web search. Car’s dashboard would run Android Auto, although hands-free operation through voice commands will be emphasized to ensure safe driving. Compatible apps include Google Maps, Google Play Music etc.
Automobile companies supporting Android Auto are:

Introduction:
Windows Phone is a mobile operating system built and developed by Microsoft Corporation, as its vision of a mobile platform. It is a successor to the previous “Windows Mobile”, but is incompatible with the previous platform.
“Windows Mobile” dates back to the “Pocket PC” era. It was introduced in 2000 as Windows CE, for portable devices. In the early stages of “Windows Mobile”, it was primarily targeted towards enterprise customers. But, in 2010, Microsoft released the last version of the Windows Mobile (i.e. Version 6.5.5) , and later renamed the platform as “Windows Phone”, then targeting the consumer market, also introducing a major overhaul in the visual aesthetics of the system, calling the new layout as “metro” or “modern” UI.

Basics:
Windows Phone is based on the Windows NT kernel, same as the one used by Microsoft’s current desktop Operating System, Windows 8.1. This kernel provides Windows Phone the desktop-class architecture used for making the Windows 8.1 Metro apps.
Also, porting the metro UI apps found on the Windows Marketplace is very easy to the Windows Phone, as both the platforms feature essentially the same blocks of code.
Also, Windows Phone is “Semi” Open Source. This is because although unlike Android, Microsoft does not allow any visual or functional modification of its operating system, it allows carriers and different OEMs, like Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T or Nokia, Samsung etc. to install their own apps, as system apps, out-of-the-box; and also because Microsoft does not charge the OEMs any licensing fee for the operating system till the device is smaller than 9” in screen size, diagonally.
Windows Phone particularly has a bad reputation mainly due to the lack of differentiated apps on the Windows Phone Marketplace, when compared to the juggernauts, Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store. Microsoft is hard at work, trying to tackle this problem, inviting both, large and indie developers to develop titles for their platform. Since the last year or two, this “app-gap” between the platforms has significantly reduced, with all the major apps now also available on the Windows Phone Marketplace.
Also, the Windows Phone platform has also been praised by reviewers around the world due to its very minimal system requirements, due to which Windows Phone can run smoothly on even low-end or old hardware, and thus, can be produced at a low price.
In the previous 3-4 years, the market share of Windows Phone has grown significantly, especially in emerging markets, due to its comparatively lower costs, but is not yet able to compete with Android and iOS.

* Universal Windows Apps
Microsoft has introduced universal Windows apps, a way for developers to create a single application that works across Windows phones, tablets, PCs, and the Xbox One.
According to Microsoft, this should be easy for developers to implement, as much of the code can be reused across the different platforms. This concept developed by Microsoft, can have many practical benefits, if implemented correctly. Mainly, the user will have no need to buy multiple devices, just to run some specific application which is exclusively available only on that device. And because it's a single app that's running across all screens, everything handled by the cloud should sync across them, including notifications and in-app purchases.
Microsoft's tools will allow developers to tweak a single app's interface based on both the form factor that it's running on and whether it's being used with or without a mouse and keyboard.
For example, an application can be optimized for mouse and keyboard in Windows 8.1, for touch in Windows Phone 8.1 and even for motion controlling in Xbox One.
Also, the users will not have to pay multiple times for different versions of a single application on multiple platforms. This has been an issue of concern for other platforms, particularly iOS.

Conclusion:
After doing research on the world’s leading Mobile Operating systems, their basic design philosophies, and the technologies behind them, there is no clear winner.
Different mobile operating systems are better than others at different tasks.
But, what operating system is better for a specific person can be decided by his lifestyle, daily usage of the device and particular requirements.
Finally, I have gathered data from different sources about the most used mobile operating systems in the world. This reflects the dominance of Apple and Google in the field, with Microsoft catching up.

Global market share of different Mobile Operating Systems

References:
Websites:
* http://www.developer.apple.com [Apple Developer] * http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx [MSDN- The Microsoft Developers’ Network] * http://developer.android.com [Android Developers] * http://www.google.com/io [Google I/O 2014] * http://www.apple.com/wwdc [WWDC 2014] * http://www.openhandsetalliance.com [Open Handset Alliance] * http://www.openautoalliance.net [Open Automotive Alliance] * http://www.xda-developers.com [XDA Developers] * http://www.wikipedia.org [Wikipedia] * http://www.cnet.com [CNET] * http://www.theverge.com [The Verge] * http://www.pocketnow.com [Pocketnow] * http://www.engadget.com [Engadget] * http://www.netmarketshare.com [NetMarketShare]
Books:
* iOS Hackers’ Handbook (by Charlie Miller)