Rest in peace, UIQ

Before there was the Series60 (S60) 5th Edition, Symbian already had a touch-screen alternative through UIQ Technology's interface. This was famously used in some of Motorola's first 3G handsets and Sony Ericsson's business-oriented P-series. These days, you can still find UIQ in some Walkman phones and the G-series from the Japanese-Swedish phone manufacturer.

But ever since Sony Ericsson announced that it will be using Windows Mobile for its flagship Xperia X1 device in early 2008 (or will it?), the fate of UIQ has hung in the balance. Now, almost a year on, the inevitable has happened--UIQ Technology has filed for bankruptcy. This should put to rest any dying hope that Sony Ericsson would revive its P-series using this Symbian interface.

The decision to pull the plug was made by Motorola and Sony Ericsson, co-owners of this software company. Clearly, these two phone manufacturers have already covered their bases when it comes to touch-screen operating systems, as they are both licensees of Windows Mobile and Google's Android platform.

Goodbye, UIQ, you have served many users well and will now transcend into the realm of smartphone history. You may be gone, but we are sure your Wikipedia page will always be there as a monument to your existence.

(Via Crave Asia)