As someone who back then experienced symbian java/java games on my father' and brother' phone, I partially agree. For some reason back in 2010-2012, here on Indonesia, cheap Symbian based phone are booming. You can buy a cheap symbian phone with preloaded mp3s and some java .jar games from local phone booth. For me personally I played those java games on my brother Nokia E63 (which is fun) or my father' Sony Ericson phone (forgot which model). Java games solely responsible for me to discover Gameloft that made those knockoff mobile games (but fun given how simple it was back then).

EDIT: Perhaps due to difference how regional tecnoloical advancement back then but here earliest I got more modern phone was in 2013 when I got my own Lenovo A369i which running Android Jelly Bean. Learn myself how to root my phone to gain more of my system (back then I was first year of Middle School). Symbian phones was one of mobile era that I fond of because it was very close to my memory of being a kid.

On similar topic, Blackberry based phone was big here in Indonesia when most of higher class use Blackberry Messenger as form of chatting, never had myself a Blackberry due to how expensive they were on Indonesia

There were some legit games for symbian