Mobile Operating System Layers

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Brief descriptions of the six layers of a mobile OS are given below:

1. Mobile applications: This level refers to customer-level applications such as microbrowsers and mobile retailing.


2. Graphical user interface (GUI): Applications use the API (Application Programming Interface) to display information on GUI.


3. API framework: It provides the framework between the low-level components and the application layer. By using this framework, application developers do not need to know the underlying low-level details in order to take full advantage of their capabilities.


4. This level consists of three components:
   
   
   • Multimedia: This module involves image/video related functionality, audio recording and play back, etc.
   • Communication infrastructure: It may contain WAN stack, CDMA circuit-switched voice and data, and packet-based data.
   • Security: It may include authentication, cryptography, secure communications, secure mobile payment methods, etc.


5. The 5^th level also consists of three components:
   
   
   • Computer kernel: It provides all the essential services required by the other parts of the operating system and applications.
   • Power management: This component manages the power consumption to prolong the battery life.
   • Real-time kernel: Devices need real-time responses for some time-critical applications such as voice communication.


6. The bottom level is the hardware controller. The hardware includes displays and memory (both RAM and flash).