Symbian loyalists would not part from their phones, regardless of how good the iPhone interface is. Symbian Plus bridges that particular gap, allowing users to benefit from the best of both worlds.
The iPhone has created waves from the first day of its launch, proving to be very popular because of the great interface and design. The iPhone is controlled entirely by touch, and additionally uses only the human digits for operation – which means there is no need for a stylus.
While Nokia has also recently launched its new touchscreen mobile phone, the iPhone still has an indefinable charm that attracts mobile phone users. However, most Symbian enthusiasts swear by the operating system, and would not be willingly parted from it.
Therefore the Symbian Plus interface is a merge of best of both worlds – the underlying operating system is Symbian through and through, but the interface that lies on top of it is of the iPhone’s much admired design.
Symbian Plus is just an interface
Essentially, the Symbian Plus software is a theme that sits atop the existing Symbian interface. It doesn’t convert the phone into an iPhone, nor does it add any extra functionality that is particular to the iPhone. The typical menu of the S60 3rd edition is converted to resemble the navigation pane of the Apple iPhone. The application will not alter any of the core settings of the phone; again, it is only the aesthetics that get an entirely superficial makeover.
Installation
Symbian Plus needs to be installed and the mobile phone has to be rebooted for the change to take effect. Once the phone has been restarted, the change is immediately visible. The menu buttons resemble the block pattern so particular to the iPhone, and there is a handy navigational bar at the bottom of the screen as well.
The navigation bar is similar to the navigational toolbar popular with Windows Vista users. The bar contains a number of shortcut icons to various applications. The icons are magnified whenever they are selected with a slight animation, bringing them into greater focus for that short time. Depending on user preferences, the applications can be configured to personal tastes.
Customization is key
The menu is completely customizable, where various shortcut icons to various applications and settings can be arranged according to preference. There is also the option of having a background image to the actual menu, although this aspect takes away from the attractive simplicity inherent in the design. However, that is an entirely personal decision. It is possible to choose from a number of display models, where the icons take on a universal theme.
The software application is available in two languages: English and Chinese. However, it is unclear how to switch from one to the other.
The application appears to be freeware, and comes as an unsigned Symbian software. It is available for download from many dedicated Symbian sites.