Series 60 customer vs Java customer

[arachidyl]

We are between Symbian C++ and J2ME programming languages and I would like to have some help. Problem is that we arent sure which language we should choose for your application. We have wondered that what kind of people buy Series 60 devices and which choose something else. We have done just a little bit research and it looks like Series 60 device buyers are more forward to use applications. What is your opinion and do you know any research about this issue? I would like to read researchs about how many Series 60 and Java devices are in market and what kind of customers are using these devices. eBrid have done research about this issue but I havent found original eBrid's research.

Lets enlarge this discussion that are Series 60 devices the best devices for using mobile application? These devices have big screen that is the most important feature in our application. Would be great to see research about how many non Series 60 devices with big screen are in market =)

Perhaps this post should have go to Symbian discussion board but its always nice to hear your Java people comments =)

Regs,
Arachidyl

[hartti]

In pure numbers with Java you can reach much bigger audience (but also you have to handle wider variety of phone capabilities...). Ovum has estimated that more than one billion Java enabled phones were shipped by the end of 2005. Nokia has estimated selling alone more than 50 million S60 devices by the end of Feb 2006. S60 seems to have a major market share of the smart phone category.
About the screen sizes. Average screen size seems to be growing in all categories, but Java capable phones can have also quite small screens.
It is also question of the regional distribution of your target customers. In Europe there is likely more S60 devices than in U.S. for example.

Hartti

[prashant332]

In simple words, all S60 devices supports Java. But S40 dvices deosnot support Symbian. So hence altogether with java you can reach both S60 and S40 devices. Obviously the valume would more then the symbian market.

[arachidyl]

Thanks for your comments.

Right now it looks that J2ME would suite better in our case. Too bad we have already done prototype with Symbian C++. There is no low level programming or no need to device's system access. Only problem because we arent so eager to move in J2ME is better stored data managing in Symbian C++, thanks to DBMS API. How have you Java people done your data managing with J2ME because it sound pain without relation database =) Would XML-database works or is it too slowly to use?

Any idea what kind of markets Series 60 and big screen Java devices have in Europe?