OS
(Operating System)
The "core" software that controls the basic operation of an electronic device. Examples include macOS for computers, and Android for phones.
More advanced OS platforms for phones — such as iOS and Android — allow full software applications (apps) to run on top of the OS, such as games, communication apps, navigation apps, and social media. The OS provides the framework that makes these apps possible.
Standardized OS platforms also provide a mostly consistent user interface (UI) across devices from different hardware manufacturers.
Last updated Thursday by Rich Brome
Editor in Chief Rich became fascinated with cell phones in 1999, creating mobile web sites for phones with tiny black-and-white displays and obsessing over new phone models. Realizing a need for better info about phones, he started Phone Scoop in 2001, and has been helming the site ever since. Rich has spent two decades researching and covering every detail of the phone industry, traveling the world to tour factories, interview CEOs, and get every last spec and photo Phone Scoop readers have come to expect. As an industry veteran, Rich is a respected voice on phone technology of the past, present, and future.
