S60 Platform and device SDKs

Develop for the world’s most-popular smartphone platform The S60 platform offers you the winning combination of leading-edge mobile technology and a diverse range of runtimes. The hundreds of millions of S60 devices already in the market offer you an excellent opportunity to deliver profitable applications to a global market. For more information, visit the S60 platform page »

When coupled with your favourite development tool, the S60 platform and device SDKs provide all the features required to quickly and efficiently build and test S60 applications on a PC.

What’s the latest news about the S60 SDKs?

Version 1.0 of the Nokia N97 SDK is now available. In addition to the new features delivered in the beta version, this device-specific SDK now provides:

• Improved support of home screen features, including online and offline modes as well as improved behaviour.
• Updated SDK documentation, including additional keyboard information and support for integration with the Netbeans IDE.
• Support for the Chinese version of the full keyboard.
• Updated example applications.
• Updated default emulator theme.
• Fixes for all other important bugs.

With this version of the SDK developers are now able to exploit the new features and APIs offered by the Nokia N97 mobile computer. Using the SDK, developers can create applications that take advantage of the new home-screen-publishing and memory-management APIs. The emulator, which has the look and feel of the Nokia N97 mobile computer, enables the testing of these new application capabilities as well as home screen widgets.

New features:

• Features specific to the Nokia N97 mobile computer in the SDK emulator, including:
• The look and feel of a Nokia N97 mobile computer, including a QWERTY keyboard and four-way rocker navigation key.
• The Nokia N97 device’s home screen, including support for home screen Web Runtime (WRT) widgets and native applications.
• New C++ APIs, including:
• Homescreen Publishing API, which enables developers to publish native applications so that users can view data from these applications in the home screen.
• Out-of-Memory Monitor API, which provides methods for applications to quickly reallocate memory blocks or register themselves with higher priority — thus preventing the shutting down of an application running in the background when the device’s available memory is low.
It should be noted that the Homescreen Publishing and Out-of-Memory Monitor APIs are specific to the Nokia N97 mobile computer. Compatibility with future releases of the S60 platform is not guaranteed.


• Java Runtime 1.4 for S60 is implemented in the SDK, offering Java™ developers the following new or improved APIs:
• Mobile Sensor API (JSR-256), which provides support for gathering information from the accelerometer, battery charge sensor, charger state sensor, and network field intensity sensor.
• Nokia UI API 1.3, which provides support for the SoftNotification, SoftNotificationException, and SoftNotificationListener classes.

Download the Nokia N97 SDK for Symbian OS »

What can I do with the S60 platform and device SDKs?

The S60 platform and device SDKs enable you to build applications using Symbian C++, Open C/C++, Java™ technology, and Web Runtime (WRT). In addition, several of the SDKs support development with Python for S60 using an SDK plug-in. When used with your favourite development tools, the SDKs provide you with access to all the APIs implemented in a particular edition and feature pack. Once you’ve coded your application, the SDKs include tools to compile that application for testing in the S60 emulator. In the emulator, your application can be tested without the need for an S60 device, which improves development time. Once the application is tested, tools to compile and package the application for installation on an S60 device are provided.

The SDKs include comprehensive documentation and example applications that enable you to make the most of the S60 platform and SDK tools.

What S60 platform and device SDKs are available?

S60 platform and device SDKs are available for all the editions and feature packs of the S60 platform and the Nokia N97 mobile computer. Three types of SDKs are available. The most recent SDKs offer an all-in-one environment for development of Symbian C++, Open C/C++, Java™, and WRT applications. Earlier SDKs were delivered as specific packages for either Symbian C++ or Java application development.

Each SDK includes a number of tools useful to all developers, such as the emulator, diagnostics tools, and a command-line interface. In addition, specific features are available for developers using each of the supported runtimes, such as debugging tools and compilers.

For more information, visit the general features page »
For more information, visit the Symbian C++ and Open C/C++ features page »
For more information, visit the Java technology features page »
For more information, visit the Web Runtime (WRT) features page »

In addition to the SDKs, there are several plug-ins that extend the capabilities of the SDKs. These plug-ins fall into two categories: those that add APIs and those that add support for additional languages to the SDKs.

For more information, visit the S60 SDKs’ plug-ins page »

How do I get started with the S60 platform and device SDKs?

You'll need some familiarity with the programming language you plan use for development. To get started, visit one of the Forum Nokia QuickStart pages. These pages provide an easy introduction to developing applications with Symbian C++, Open C/C++, or WRT. If you’re choosing a development language for the first time, you can find the learning resources you need on these QuickStart pages.

To run your chosen S60 SDK, you'll need, at a minimum, a PC running Microsoft Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2 (Microsoft Vista support is available for some SDKs) with 1 GB of RAM, a 1-GHz Pentium-class processor, 2 GB of free disk space, a display capable of 16-bit colour at 1,024 x 768-pixel resolution, a version of the Java™ runtime environment (JRE), ActivePerl 5.6.1 build 635, and local administrator rights for installation and removal of the SDK.

What help does Forum Nokia offer for the S60 SDKs?

Forum Nokia offers all developers a wide range of professional and community-based help and support. (See the box at right for links.)

Of particular interest to most developers will be the Forum Nokia Knowledge Base, hosted in the Forum Nokia Wiki. The Knowledge Base provides up-to-date information on issues found in the SDKs and devices, along with useful information for avoiding or working around such issues.

How do I go to market with my S60 applications?

Whether your application has local, regional, or global appeal, Forum Nokia can help you find the right channel for taking your application to market.

For more information, visit the Go to Market page »

You'll also want to consider Symbian Signed for your Symbian C++ and Open C/C++ applications, and the Java Verified™ Program for your Java™ applications. While neither certification option may be a requirement for your applications, each offers many advantages.

Find out more about the Symbian Signed program and Java Verified™ Program »

With which Nokia platforms and devices are the S60 SDKs compatible?

You can use S60 SDKs to create applications for all S60 devices. See specifications for S60 devices »

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