Samsung Bada: a new mobile OS is born

In February 2010, during an impressive show in Barcelona, just before the opening of the Mobile World Congress 2010, Samsung Electronics unveiled what would become the centre piece of their mobile strategy: the Bada OS mobile operating system, along with the first compatible handset, the Samsung Wave.

The South Korean group had an excellent year in 2009 in the mobile phone sector, confirming their place as the world’s second largest manufacturer with more than 220 million shipped handsets, but they were missing an important element in this domination – success in the Smartphone’s segment.

Bada OS presented at the MWC 2010 show

This is currently the most dynamic sector, while also being the most profitable. With the release of unlimited data subscriptions, followed by the deployment of 3G and 3G+ networks, Smartphone’s have won over the public in established markets. The interest in emerging markets, which are starting to deploy their own 3G networks like in China and India, also open up great possibilities for companies.


Not letting the Smartphone’s sector escape them
It’s not necessarily the largest manufacturers who have profited most from this growth, but rather Smartphone specialists like Research in Motion (RIM), Apple and HTC. RIM, through their Smartphone success, has managed to climb their way into the world’s top 5 mobile manufacturers on the back of sales of their Blackberry’s.

Most of the large groups have been outplayed by these smaller players who have strongly aimed their production towards this market. Even Nokia, leader in general mobile sales, and in particular Smartphone’s, has had trouble showing themselves to be innovative, with the smaller companies beating them in the creation of tendencies (tactile screens, interface ergonomics...).

Since 2009, the largest manufacturers have each been preparing options to fight back so as to get an upper hand in the Smartphone market. While some, like LG Electronics, are betting on existing mobile OS’ – notably Android, others are looking to get full control over the hardware (the handset) and software (mobile OS).

This is Samsung’s case with Bada OS, their own mobile operating system which will complete their Smartphone ranges which use better known OS’ like Android and Windows Mobile.