Mobile operating systems :

Main article: Mobile operating system

Android :

Main article: Android (operating system)

Android is a mobile operating system developed by Google Inc., and backed by an industry consortium known as the Open Handset Alliance. It is an open sourceplatform with optional proprietary components, including a suite of flagship software for Google services, and the application and content storefront Google Play.Android was officially introduced via the release of its inaugural device, the HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1) on 20 October 2008.

As an open source product, Android has also been the subject of third-party development; development groups have used the Android source code to develop and distribute their own modified versions of the operating system, such as CyanogenMod, to add features to the OS and provide newer versions of Android to devices that no longer receive official updates from their vendor. Forked versions of Android have also adopted by other vendors, such as Amazon.com, who used its "Fire OS" on a range of tablets and the Fire Phone.

Due to the wide array of smartphones shipped with the OS—covering a wide range of market segments—Android has seen significant adoption. Gartner Researchestimated that 325 million Android smartphones were sold during the fourth quarter of 2015, leading all other platforms. Samsung Electronics, who produces Android devices, was also the top smartphone vendor across all platforms in the same period of time.

iOS :

Main article: iOS

iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a proprietary mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc. primarily for its iPhone product line. The iPhone was first unveiled in January 2007. The device introduced numerous design concepts that have been adopted by modern smartphone platforms, such as the use of multi-touch gestures for navigation, eschewing physical controls in favor of those rendered by the operating system itself on its touchscreen (including the keyboard), and the use ofskeumorphism—making features and controls within the user interface resemble real-world objects and concepts in order to improve their usability.

In 2008, Apple introduced the App Store, a centralized storefront for purchasing new software for iPhone devices. iOS can also integrate with Apple's desktop music program iTunes to sync media to a personal computer. The dependency on a PC was removed with the introduction of iCloud on later versions of iOS, which provides synchronization of user data via internet servers between multiple devices.

The iPhone line's early dominance was credited with reshaping the smartphone industry, and helping make Apple one of the world's most valuable publicly traded companies by 2011. However, the iPhone and iOS have generally been in second place in worldwide market share.

Windows Phone :

Main article: Windows Phone

Windows Phone is a series of smartphone operating systems developed by Microsoft. Its original release, Windows Phone 7, was a revamped version of the previous, Windows CE-based Windows Mobile platform; however, it was incompatible with the legacy platform. Windows Phone's user interface was designed to contrast with its competitors, utilizing a design language codenamed "Metro" which de-emphasized iconography and skeuomorphism in favor of flat, text-based designs. The platform also featured concepts such as "live tiles" on its home screen that can display dynamic content, and "Hubs"—which aggregate content from various sources and services (such as a user's local contacts, in combination with connected social networking services) into unified displays. Windows Phone also integrated with other Microsoft brands and platforms, including Bing, SkyDrive, and Xbox. Microsoft Office Mobile apps were also bundled with the operating system.

Windows Phone 8 was released in 2012; it was incompatible with existing devices, but switched to a core system based on the Windows NT platform, expanded the platform's hardware support and functionality, and added expanded enterprise-oriented functionality such as storage encryption. Windows 10 Mobile was released in late-2015; it is no longer promoted under the Windows Phone brand, as it is intended to provide greater consistency and integration with Windows 10 for PC, including cross-platform applications via Universal Windows Platform, and the ability to dock supported devices to use a desktop interface with keyboard and mouse support.

The Windows Phone series has had poor adoption in comparison to its competitors. Lack of interest in the platform also led to a decrease in third-party applications, and some vendors ended their support for Windows Phone altogether.  The most prominent Windows Phone vendor was Nokia, who exclusively adopted Windows Phone as its smartphone platform in 2011 as part of a wider partnership with Microsoft. Nokia's Lumia series was the most popular line of Windows Phone devices, representing 83.3% of all Windows Phones sold in June 2013, and Microsoft acquired Nokia's mobile business for just over €5.44 billion in April 2014, forming the subsidiary Microsoft Mobile under former Nokia CEO Stephen Elop.

BlackBerry :

Main article: BlackBerry

In 1999, RIM released its first BlackBerry devices, providing secure real-time push-email communications on wireless devices. Services such as BlackBerry Messenger provide the integration of all communications into a single inbox. In September 2012, RIM announced that the 200 millionth BlackBerry smartphone was shipped. As of September 2014, there are around 46 million active BlackBerry service subscribers. Most recently, RIM has undergone a platform transition, changing its name to BlackBerry and making new devices on a new platform named "BlackBerry 10" and in November 2015 released an Android smartphone, the BlackBerry Priv.

Sailfish OS :

Main article: Sailfish OS

The Sailfish OS is based on the Linux kernel and Mer. Additionally Sailfish OS includes a partially or completely proprietary multi-tasking user interfaceprogrammed by Jolla. This user interface differentiate Jolla smartphones from others. Sailfish OS is intended to be a system made by many of the MeeGo team, which left Nokia to form Jolla, utilizing funding from Nokia's "Bridge" program which helps establish and support start-up companies formed by ex-Nokia employees.

Tizen :

Main article: Tizen

Tizen is a Linux-based operating system for devices, including smartphones, tablets, in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) devices, smart TVs, laptops and smart cameras. Tizen is a project within the Linux Foundation and is governed by a Technical Steering Group (TSG) composed of Samsung and Intel among others. In April 2014, Samsung released the Samsung Gear 2 and the Gear 2 Neo, running Tizen. The Samsung Z1 is the first smartphone produced by Samsung that runs Tizen; it was released in the Indian market on January 14, 2015.

Ubuntu Touch :

Main article: Ubuntu Touch

Ubuntu Touch (also known as Ubuntu Phone) is a mobile version of the Ubuntu operating system developed by Canonical UK Ltd and Ubuntu Community. It is designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers.