Series 40 Platform

	Series 40 platform overview Series 40 6th Edition Series 40 5th Edition, Feature Pack 1 Lite Java™ application developers Flash Lite developers	Web developers Media and content developers Getting started Recommended tools and SDKs Support

Series 40 platform overview

The Series 40 platform is the world's most widely used mobile device platform. Series 40 devices range from mass-market devices that provide many mobile consumers with their first experience of the internet to devices for specific market segments, such as music or fashion.

For developers, the promise made by the Series 40 platform is that of reach. Whether working with Java™ technology, Adobe Flash Lite, web technology, or mobile media content, the Series 40 platform offers a mass-market opportunity across the globe. And as the Series 40 platform evolves, increasing support for multiple runtimes is bridging the divide between mobile and desktop product development.

For Java developers, there is MIDP and CLDC technology, with an array of JSRs that provide additional location, communication, messaging, media, and graphics capabilities.

Media developers can deliver web, messaging, and Adobe Flash Lite content, as well as streaming video and audio, using the latest industry standards. The user interface of Series 40 devices can also be personalised with themes, animated screen savers, and wallpaper.

All this is supported by OMA DRM to protect developers' intellectual property.

The Series 40 is a fast-evolving mobile platform with industry-leading global sales. It creates unprecedented opportunities for developers to add value and reap rewards. Read on to find out more…

Series 40 6th Edition

Series 40 5th Edition, Feature Pack 1 Lite

Rich features, applications, and content for high end feature phones Series 40 6th Edition offers developers new horizons in compatibility and functionality for both applications and content. The platform’s Java technology is enhanced with:MIDP 2.1, the subset of the Mobile Service Architecture (JSR-248), the Location API for J2ME™ (JSR‑179) and a unique Force Sensitive Joystick API. The Flash Lite 3 Player is now included for richer content, applications, animated screen savers, and animated 'organic' wallpaper. A new browser, based on WebKit, provides a desktop-like web browsing experience, enabling the delivery of sophisticated web-based services. For media consumption, support for 320 x 480‑pixel displays brings an improved viewing experience that complements the continued growth in the consumption of content and media.

Feature phones for the limited budget, not limited aspirations Series 40 5th Edition, Feature Pack 1 Lite provides developers with access to a mass market of users worldwide. For Java developers there is MIDP 2.1 plus six JSRs and the Nokia UI API. These APIs enable the development of applications with a focus on personal information, Bluetooth connectivity, messaging, media, and connected data. There is also support for a wide range of languages, including many local and regional languages. Web developers can target a wide variety of web content at Series 40 5th Edition, Feature Pack 1 Lite devices. The feature pack's web browser technology enables mobile optimised sites to be browsed easily by device users. Series 40 5th Edition, Feature Pack 1 Lite enables users to customise their device’s look with themes. Audio and video can also be played.

Java™ application developers

Java™ technology provides developers with a robust cross-platform development tool capable of addressing the most demanding enterprise and consumer application requirements.

The Series 40 platform provides developers with an wide array of additional APIs, these APIs enable developers to create applications that offer rich functionality with an engaging user experience. For example, APIs are available to access location information, secure data traffic, and manipulate media on many Series 40 devices. Details of the Java APIs in the various editions and feature packs of the Series 40 platform are found in the wiki article Java ME API support on Nokia devices.

The Java implementation on the Series 40 platform shares many common features with the implementation on Symbian. This allows developers to easily extend the reach of their applications to the entire platform range.

To find out more about Nokia's support for Java technology, visit the Java technology page »

Flash Lite developers

Adobe Flash Lite enables developers to deliver rich multimedia applications and content to Series 40 devices.

With support for Flash Lite 3, developers can create rich stand-alone applications and content, as well as animated screen savers and animated 'organic' wallpaper. Using fscommand2, Flash Lite content can access and control various phone parameters. Flash Lite applications can also initiate various actions, such as starting a phone call, allowing applications to take advantage of Series 40 devices' mobile connectivity.

To find out more about Adobe Flash Lite in the various Series 40 editions and feature packs, visit the Flash Lite technology page.

Web developers

The Series 40 platform offers a number of opportunities for web developers to reach the widest mobile audience.

For browsing applications, developers can take advantage of support for OMA Browsing v2.1, providing WAP 2.0, XHTML-MP, and HTML 4.01 browsing with wTCP/IP. ECMAScript support is also available, as is support for cookies. From Series 40 6th Edition onward, support is provided for HTML 4.01, CSS2, JavaScript™ 1.5, and Ajax.

To find out more about the development options, visit the Web Technologies page »

Media and content developers

The Series 40 platform provides media developers with options to create browsing and messaging applications, deliver streaming audio and video, and create themes to personalise devices.

For messaging applications, developers have OMA MMS v1.3-compliant messaging and support for messages of up to 600 kB in size. SMIL is also supported, enabling the creation of messages as animated slide shows.

For content, developers can deliver streaming audio in AMR-WB and AAC formats, and video in H.263 format.

For themes, developers can customise the look and sound of the user interface, and add animated screen savers and animated 'organic' wallpaper.

To find out more about the technology support for browsing, messaging, content, and themes in the various Series 40 editions and feature packs, check out Series 40 Platform: Introductory White Paper.

Getting started

Not yet developing for the Series 40 platform? These documents provide an introduction to the platform, developing applications with Java™ technology, delivering content as themes, and using WAP 1.2.1, XHTML, and MMS.

Series 40 Platform: FAQ
This document answers questions developers and business managers ask about the Series 40 platform.

Series 40 Platform: Introductory White Paper
This document provides an overview of the Series 40 platform and introduces Java technology and media development for it.

Java™ ME Developer's Library
Java™ ME Developer's Library is a complete resource package with introductory, getting started, tutorial, and API-level information for developers wishing to use the S60 platform or the Series 40 platform for developing mobile Java applications or services. This library is available in HTML format online, as a stand-alone version, and as an Eclipse plug-in.

Series 40 Platform: Designing XHTML Mobile Profile Content v1.2
This updated document provides information and practical examples for developers who want to optimise their mobile browsing services for Series 40 devices with the XHTML browser.

Find more information on developing for the Series 40 platform from:

• Series 40 platform documents »
• Java™ code and examples »

Recommended tools and SDKs

Series 40 SDKs

The Series 40 platform SDKs provide full emulation of the MIDP implementation delivered on Series 40 devices. The emulators also provide features such as KVM speed emulation, a comprehensive diagnostics window, simulation of key phone events (such as an incoming call), and the ability to override a device's default behaviour.

Download Series 40 platform Java™ SDKs »

IDEs

Nokia provides support for the popular NetBeans and Eclipse open source IDEs.

NetBeans

NetBeans Mobility provides developers with a rich development environment offering visual application-flow specification and drag-and-drop creation of the application UI. In addition, NetBeans offers tools to support the use of SVGT in creating graphically rich UIs without the overhead of low-level graphics coding.

Read more about NetBeans Mobility »

Eclipse

For developers familiar with the Eclipse IDE, installing EclipseME provides a set of tools for creating, testing, and packaging MIDlets for Nokia devices.

Download Eclipse »
Download EclipseME »

Carbide.ui Series 40 Theme Edition

Carbide.ui Series 40 Theme Edition is a tool for creating visual themes for devices built on the Series 40 platform. Using Carbide.ui, designers can create comprehensive themes that consumers will find visually rich and engaging.

Carbide.ui enables developers to link in their chosen Adobe Flash-, vector-, bitmap-, and audio-editing software so that theme content can be edited easily. The Referenced Colors tool improves colour manipulation by linking any colour used in a theme to a centrally defined colour. When a referenced colour is changed, all linked colours change as well. Working with complex themes is supported with workflow tools and a library function. Once a theme is complete, settings for packaging and OMA DRM protection are required once, after which packaging, protection, and transfer of the theme to a device is a single step.

Download Carbide.ui Series 40 Theme Edition »

Series 40 Nokia 6212 NFC SDK

The Series 40 Nokia 6212 NFC SDK enables the development of Java™ applications with NFC capabilities for the Nokia 6212 classic phone. The Series 40 Nokia 6212 NFC SDK provides an implementation of the Contactless Communication API (JSR‑257), which allows Java developers to create applications using the phone's NFC features.

Read more about NFC »
Download the Series 40 Nokia 6212 NFC SDK »

Support

Forum Nokia provides developers with several support options.

Wiki

The Forum Nokia Wiki is a vast repository of information on all the technologies supported by Nokia. Comprehensive sections about Java™ technology and Flash Lite provide background information, how-to guides, source-code examples, and documentation of known issues.

Access the Java category of the Forum Nokia Wiki »

Knowledge Base

Hosted on the Forum Nokia Wiki, the Knowledge Base provides developers with details of known issues and technical solutions. Updated regularly, the Knowledge Base provides developers with a first port of call when encountering unexpected behaviour in a Java™ application.

Access the Forum Nokia Knowledge Base »

Discussion Boards

The Forum Nokia Developer Discussion Boards offer an alternative source of support. Here, developers can access the knowledge of other application and content developers working with Nokia platforms and present questions to that community.

Access the Forum Nokia Developer Discussion Boards »

Technical Support

If developers are unable to find an answer to a query in the Wiki, Knowledge Base, or Discussion Boards, Forum Nokia offers pay-per-incident technical-support services.

Find out more about technical support »