Computer Science - ​Mobile Device Operating Systems

Numerous manufacturers produce smartphones and tablets, but almost all of them run one of four mobile-friendly operating systems: Apple iOS, Android, Windows Phone, or BlackBerry OS.
The majority of mobile operating system interfaces include icons and full-screen programmes that you access by tapping the touch-sensitive screen, in contrast to the majority of desktop and laptop operating system interfaces that have menus, windows, and icons that you access with a mouse.
Mobile devices come with operating systems that are stored on nonvolatile memory, or memory that keeps its data even after the device is turned off. Although you can install updates, a mobile device comes with a specific OS that you cannot switch to.

Despite the fact that the iPhone and iPad have different screen sizes,
​Apple iOS functions in the same way on both devices. iOS is exclusively available on Apple hardware; it cannot be used with any other hardware.

Android 
For mobile devices, Google created the Android OS, a Linux derivative. The free and open source Android OS is used by many more affordable phones and tablets.
Icons are arranged on a home screen in Android, which has a similar interface to iOS. The vast majority of iOS apps also have Android equivalents.

Windows Phone
 As a version of Windows for mobile devices, Microsoft creates Windows Phone. Rectangular tiles on the Windows Phone main screen can be resized, and you can enlarge the tiles for the programmes you use the most. Fewer developers produce versions of their apps for Windows Phone because it has not gained the same level of popularity as iOS or Android.
You can find the Windows Phone OS on a range of devices because Microsoft licences it to a number of different hardware producers. Current Windows-based tablets use Windows 10 Mobile, a mobile-friendly version of Windows 10 (note the name change from Phone to Mobile). Windows RT, a tablet version that was once offered, has been discontinued.

BlackBerry 
Exclusive to BlackBerry smartphone hardware, the BlackBerry OS is a proprietary operating system. The BlackBerry OS will only receive a few updates, according to the parent company of the operating system; BlackBerry has lost market share in recent years and is not anticipated to be further developed.

Computer Science- Devices for Mobile Computing
Mobile devices are smaller and lighter than desktop and laptop computers since they are designed to be used on the go, as their name suggests. (Technically, laptops are mobile as well, but since they use desktop operating systems and offer comparable features, we discussed them with desktops.)

Small touch-sensitive screens on handheld devices serve as both input and output mechanisms. Some modern gadgets, like the BlackBerry, still have integrated hardware keyboards, although most feature touchscreens with virtual keyboards that appear on-screen when needed.

Tablets and smartphones are the two main categories of mobile devices now on the market. In the past, other types of devices (such digital music players, e-book readers, and personal organisers) were popular, but this popularity waned as smartphones and tablets improved.

Smartphones 
Smartphones are more than just mobile phones; they are also tiny computers that provide you access to the Internet anywhere you are. By allowing you to copy and carry around data that you would often store on your PC, such as your address book, calendar, task lists, and so forth, they also aid in keeping you organised.
You can play games, edit spreadsheets and text documents, read books, listen to music, and perform a variety of other computing functions on the majority of smartphones. We can divide smartphones into three groups based on operating systems: iPhones (iOS), Androids, and Windows Phones. We'll talk more about each of these groups later.

Tablets A tablet is a touchscreen-equipped digital slate. It resembles an enormous smartphone, but most lack cell phone capabilities. (A tablet with cell phone functionality is referred to as a phablet.) A tablet bridges the gap between a laptop's processing capability and a smartphone's pocket-sized portability. The iPad, which runs on the same iOS operating system as the iPhone, is the most well-known tablet in the world. Other options include a number of tablets that run on Android, such the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

The distinction between a laptop and a tablet is blurred by the detachable keyboard on Microsoft's Surface and Surface Pro tablets, leading some to refer to them as laplets.
It's easiest to think of these as laptops that can pass for tablets because they still run the full workstation (desktop and laptop) version of Windows.

Mobile Devices with a Specialty
 The catch with speciality mobile devices is that they frequently become well-liked for a single activity before smartphones and tablets and other more generic mobile devices, such as their hardware and apps, improve to the point where the typical user prefers using the app over carrying a different device.
You can carry around the equivalent of a small library in your pocket thanks to e-book readers, which are essentially tablets designed just for reading e-books (like the Amazon Kindle or Barnes & Noble Nook). They offer wonderful features like long battery life and screens that don't fade in sunshine and create less eye strain.


If crunching numbers is your thing, a modern scientific calculator packs more raw computing power than the earliest mainframes could fit into an index card-sized shell.
There are calculators with video screens that let you graph complicated equations, but a smartphone app can also do this. 

Using tools with global positioning system (GPS) receivers, you can determine your precise location and get directions. Having a separate GPS device has become less desirable as more smartphones and cars now come equipped with GPS, making it easier to navigate roads and cities on foot or in a car. Some standalone GPS units have features that make them indispensable for endeavours like sailing or protracted backpacking trips.