The Nokia Symbian operating system is set to get an overhaul with the introduction of Symbian S^4, bringing it bang up to date and ready to take on rival operating systems. It's not ready to be released yet, but Nokia has provided technical information, a concept proposal, and is looking feedback from both Nokia users and developers. To find out more about the Symbian S^4 operating system, read on after the jump...

Nokia wowed us all back in December with the news that we'd see a new major Symbian OS this year. Well, it seems the new OS is in full swing.

The Symbian S^4 operating system could be the ideal operating system for future Nokia handsets, and shows that Nokia intends to continue offering Symbian alongside the Maemo 5 OS found on the Nokia N900 in the future. The concept proposal has a number of features in common with rival operating systems – such as the look of the homescreen – and is a complete departure from current Symbian S60 devices.

The homepage the Symbian S^4 concept features moveable widgets, giving it a clean and contemporary look, and a should be a lot faster than many operating systems, due to the fact it's designed to release system memory rather than have applications running in the background.

According to Slashgear, menu bars can slide completely off the screen, offering more space for icons on menus, and simplifying the menu structure into just four categories – contacts, music, photos and applications. A bid has also been made to make the menu more consistent thoughout – a minor criticism that can be aimed at current Symbian touchscreen devices.

Fast, slick-looking and brand new, Symbian S^4 could mark an exciting time for Symbian fans. It's not set to come out for some time yet, but if you're interested in finding out more or want to add feedback, visit Symbian Developer.