//About
//Popular
- handheld style sheets and getting to zen
- DIY gotomobile's mobile cam
- about context and the mobile web
- say hello to helio
- next generation 2D code - atom tag
- sony ericsson m600i try before buy
- mvno a no go?
- mobile wireless predictions for 2006
- qr codes in america?
- mix and mash with bill
//Archives
- July 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- June 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006
- April 2006
- March 2006
- February 2006
- January 2006
- December 2005
- November 2005
- October 2005
- January 2005
- December 2004
- November 2004
- October 2004
//Gotoroll
- Darla Mack
- Flash Lite Google Group
- geeked.
- i-mode Business Strategy
- iRadio Waves
- Joi Ito’s Web
- Location-Based Services (LBS) Zone
- m-trends.org
- Mike Rowehl: This is Mobility
- MobHappy
- Mobile and Devices
- Mobile Design
- mobile jones
- Mobile Mentalism
- MobileBurn.com
- mobilemonday at Yahoo! Groups
- MobileMonday: Industry News
- musings of a social architect
- Putting people first
- Small Surfaces
- Smart Mobs
- SVG-Mobile at Yahoo! Groups
- TechWeb: Mobile & Wireless
- Telecompaper Mobile & Wireless
- textually.org
- The Mobile Technology Weblog
- The New 3G Portal
- The Pondering Primate
- The Social Software Weblog
- Tom Hume
- User Experience Design
- UXCentric
- UXmatters
- Wap Review
Thoughts @
apple redefines mobile user experience
(image link from http://wordslinger.vox.com)
Today I opted to follow the Apple keynote via mobile web while driving into the office. Along with the constantly updated ‘live’ blog coverage, my phone was inundated by Twitter SMS’s from industry friends. Comments such as “anyone want a TREO 650 – cheap?” and “so are people drinking heavily at CES?” came in quickly during the session. But the buzz is clear – the much anticipated iPhone is a HUGE hit. Even with the 6-month delay, many are poised to switch over to Cingular and to delay buying any new devices until they can get their hands on the new device.
With so much coverage is taking place, I just want to make a comment or two about the interface itself.
As usual, Apple sets the pace for new forms of user interaction. The innovation is to allow the greatest amount of flexibility with a touch screen and gesture controlled interface. With this device – all traditional interaction or input methods such as buttons, softkeys, dials and numeric keypads are gone. What is left is a gorgeous 3.5” screen with the highest resolution Apple’s ever created (166 dpi). The integration of the MAC OS and all of the juicy features are mesmerizing. The potential for VOIP, Google and Yahoo! integration along with IM integration and more – the only missing killer feature seemed to be GPS. But even with a huge following and love for Apple, the key factor in adoption and bringing that 1% goal to a higher level (as Steve stated) is true user centered design and usability.
Best practices for mobile interaction usually demand multiple forms of input and usage. For example, a touch-screen is great when supported by a scroll wheel or soft keys – having a touch screen (stylus-controlled) without alternate input and very discreet active on-screen buttons is often frustrating. Apple intelligently got rid of the stylus and instead created a gesture-controlled two fingered ‘pinch’ which, if easily learned, will forever revolutionize the way we interact with small screens. But is it easy to use? Can you make calls, scroll through your list of contacts and add numbers easily? As sexy as the interface is – it needs to TRULY deliver, and when I say deliver, it needs to provide the ultimate ease-of-use along with the incredible feature set.
Recently, I tried out the new Sony Ericsson M600i phone (see my review here). It is largely touch-screen dependent, which in the end drove me absolutely crazy after a few weeks of use. I wanted to LOVE the device. I’m a huge Sony Ericsson fan, and when I got the device as a trial mid-2006, I was estatic. However, especially when I was driving, the reliance on the touch screen did not allow me to make calls, enter my passcode or navigate to my SMS messages easily. What smartphones are to most people is a device that allows them to multi-task. This often demands easy one-handed usage, without always looking down at the phone. If you’ve ever had the choice to use your PDA keys for text entry, or to change to a stylus controlled text entry system is rarely chosen. I ended up putting the Sony Ericsson back in it’s box, completely disappointed by the overall interface and difficulty in usage. In this case, because of the dependence on the touch screen (and a pretty lousy user interface) high-volume usage and normal smartphone behavior was impossible. So I’m a bit biased against touch-screen only interfaces.
I feel Apple’s unique and stunning UI along with smart features such as the portrait to landscape switch and the proximity sensor to turn ‘off’ touch screen sensitivity when the device is held close to one’s face will win over the crowd. But with the higher price point ($499 for the 4 GB and $599 for the 8 GB) it’s definitely got to deliver. It’s impossible to state the ease of use, response time and how accurate the touch screen is from the interactive demo — lemme get my hands on one (Apple? Anyone?) and can then give an honest opinion. For those porting their desktop experience to a mobile device, I believe the experience and integration will be smooth. Most likely, there will be additional features such as the ability to add on a portable bluetooth keyboard, voice commands and more. It really depends on the audience, expectations and previous user experience. It’s impossible to say anything other than “wow” for now — the interface design is so beautiful and the user interaction seems to flow. But, like the iPod – seldom does something come out of the starting gate without any room for growth. So I look forward to seeing the next several iterations of the device and the modifications to truly make it the industry-changing device it deserves to be. And if they have hit it with the first release – kudos to Steve and the team. Add in a 3G network and GPS and you’ve got me 100% sold.
24 Responses to “apple redefines mobile user experience”
Comments
-
Pingback January 9th, 2007 by Mobile Learning » Blog Archive » Apple iPhone released
-
Pingback January 9th, 2007 by More Views On The iPhone at MobHappy
-
Pingback January 9th, 2007 by +34.net - El blog de las tecnologías móviles » Blog Archive » ¿es usable el iPhone?
-
Pingback January 9th, 2007 by Finger or Thumb Keypad Interaction? at m-trends.org
-
Pingback January 9th, 2007 by Urls Sinistras » Blog Archive » iPhone
-
Pingback January 9th, 2007 by Urls Sinistras » Blog Archive » iPhone
Related Stuff
- No Related Posts
January 9th, 2007
Hi, nice piece! I particularly like your point on many people doing one-handed navigation. This seems impossible with the iPhone, so I too wonder whether the interaction will be as smooth as sugested by the demos.
(BTW: its GB, not MB in the last alinea, where you mention prices)
January 9th, 2007
Thanks Michiel for the sharp eyes. The typos are fixed now. :)
January 9th, 2007
Kelly, I agree with your take on the shift toward a much better mobile UE. Regardless of how any given feature plays out, I think this will have a major impact on the priority that the players (carriers, developers and OEMs) will place on mobile UI. I think the bigger shift at play is that, for the first time, an OEM is calling the shots with a tier 1 carrier, which seems can only happen when you’re Apple.
Here’s the rest of my take on the mobile user experience impact of today’s iPhone announcement, over at Idlemode.
January 9th, 2007
Gizmodo have a hands on review of using the phone and albeit brief…
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/mac.....227582.php
Lucky guys…
January 9th, 2007
You watch webcasts while you drive? And demand a phone which can be used whilst you drive? I’m glad I live on the other side of the Atlantic ;)
On a more serious note (for me, less serious for the kid who runs in front of you) I don’t think they have VoIP, IM or 3rd party apps; I don’t think they really have that much of OS X in there either (and nor should they in a device of this form factor). The networking available from it is pretty slow too. But you’re right that the critical think will be how easy it is to use (assuming the battery life really is OK), and poor touchscreen reactions or an underpowered processor could really kill it. Both have been hinted at in hands on reviews…
January 9th, 2007
Raddeas - like I said - I was dreaming of a 3G enabled device that has GPS in addition to everything else. But let the next versions offer something new for the audience. I agree that VOIP was not overly stressed and I was a bit surprised by that - however I’m nearly 100% sure the device will be an ‘open’ format for application development and with the OSX environment VOIP integration is ensured. But will it be a smooth integration, a core feature? I had a vision that Apple would announce a MVNO (multiple virtual network operator play) and would in fact stress it’s perfection of VOIP and communication features (IM and SMS) over traditional voice calls.
Separately, in my dreams, I was hoping for an announcement of a super thin MAC that weighed in less than 2.5 lbs and had a SLIDE IN PHONE the size of a credit card that synched via PC-card-type slot and stored IN the device. Or an ultra lite portable beating out anything OQO has to offer. But a girl can dream a little - can’t she?
January 9th, 2007
Oh - just for the record I was reading my SMS’s sent via twitter while driving, but the web cast was a text blog that refreshed every minute or so on my HTC - and I had someone reading that to me while driving - I can put makeup on and talk on the phone, but reading full text while going 70 MPH is hard, even for a multi-tasker like me ;-)
January 9th, 2007
Kelly -
You make a good point; while a touch-interface is tactile, it is not the best interface for all interactions. We use our fingers when our eyes can’t do the work - such as, say, when driving. Every serious review of iPhone (and they are legion) makes a negative comment about the virtualized keyboard, and its lack of tactile feedback. In a perfect enviornment it probably won’t matter much. In a less-than-perfect enviornment, it will matter a lot.
Fingers are good. But sometimes buttons are better. (And I’m saying this having written extensively about why mobile phones should abandon their buttons.)
January 9th, 2007
Mark, great to hear from you. I enjoy your insights on your blog and cannot believe they have begun taking down The Daily Show clips on Youtube! The end has begun. Re: iPhone, time will tell of course. Tactile has purpose, especially the much loved 5-way wheel Sony Ericsson introduced with it’s P900 and P910a series. We’ve gone through a multitude of UI exploration and the sexiness of having nothing but a flat, glossy, gorgeous surface on a device. But we have found, over and over again with testing and customer feedback, that some dedicated buttons, or even softkeys are preferred. However - I’m OPEN to the fact that a new UI can be learned. I feel once voice control and commands actually work and a computer can be turned on as easily as James Doohan (RIP) attempted with his “computer… hello computer” scene in Star Trek IV - buttons will disappear forever… so when they say 5 years ahead, they really mean it. That said, many will buy, love and integrate this little device into their daily routine, happy as a clam.
January 9th, 2007
On the tactile-feedback note: I don’t think anybody expects a full qwerty keyboard to be tactile (eyes-free input is okay for dialing but not texting). I for one, am looking forward to a smartphone sans qwerty hard keys but the proof will be in the handling.
My experience with the LG Chocolate was that the touch input was too hyper sensitive, making accidental input way too easy and the whole experience rather cumbersome. I’m counting on Apple to have addressed that better.
I love the idea of sliding a phone into a laptop, the ultimate docking/charging/syncing station.
January 9th, 2007
This is also eye opening: apparently it’s closed to Apple, their approved developers and nobody else.
http://valleywag.com/tech/ipho.....228467.php
January 9th, 2007
Joe - thanks for the Valleywag link. The concept of ‘open’ continues to be a large debate, which is why Symbian/UIQ was developed in the first place (also to battle Microsoft). Now, ‘open’ means a few things. In a recent Newsweek interview, Steve explained why they chose to close the development plaform “revealing that the software on the device is purposely closed to prevent potential issues from cropping up on Cingular’s network.”
It’s a question of “stable” versus “unstable” environment. Steve says,“You don’t want your phone to be an open platform,” meaning that anyone can write applications for it and potentially gum up the provider’s network, says Jobs. “You need it to work when you need it to work. Cingular doesn’t want to see their West Coast network go down because some application messed up.”
Interesting. In the Newsweek interview, the comments were pretty interesting - debating the ability for a rogue ‘widget’ to take a network down.
I used to carry the unlocked SE P910a and while it is true that various downloads/widgets/applications caused my phone to ‘crash’ repeatedly (I uninstalled the faux OSX skin due to errors) I am interested in this concept that someone’s self-installed program on an independently ‘open’ device can truly bring a network down.
January 9th, 2007
No denying the i-phone is my dream of what a mobile device should be. Great looks, functionality and capability… But why only one provider…particularly one with a a track record of funky data plans… always some extra charge… ant talk about” mobile phone-interuptus”. Get me all hot and bothered and then you can’t take me to paradise for 6 months. I need a dream phone for the average Joe.. and I need it now!?
January 9th, 2007
What’s up KG!? As expected, I drooled on my computer looking at the iPhone. Crazy delicious! But I have to echo the thoughts of many others about the tactile landscape of actual buttons. I have the same problem with my PocketPC’s virtual QWERTY & stylus. I have big hands and when I’m dialing or searching my phonebook I can operate my current phone eyes-free. Of course texting is look & touch, and I don’t really need a full QWERTY, but some kind of ancor or reference point would be nice. Like that old school raised dot on #5 of most every mobile over the last 10 years. ;o)
About the carrier. Cingular is a big disappointment around my way in terms of coverage and signal. They offer really good plans for the roll-over minutes but in terms of alternate communications a company like T-Mobile is crushing the comp. The market is continuing to polarize along the lines of white-collar business and urban/social communication. You’ve got Sprint, Verizon and AT&T (Cingular) and on the other side there’s T-Mobile, Helio and surprisingly Alltel to some degree. Trouble with that is many of us do a hybrid of business communication in a more socially-based means and language. It’s not unusual for me to text, IM and email far more that a voice call. That is where the iPhone would be mad choice but it would need to be on a provider whose service is geared for it’s non-voice powerpack of goodies. The annouced provider, in my opinion, isn’t.
I could do crazy amount of sleep-deprived communication with this tasty device, just please do tell me I have to go Cingular! Aw man.
January 9th, 2007
Looks like it will be a while before we get our hands on an iPhone. In the interim, has anyone heard about this Celltop that Alltel introduced? I read an article on phonenews.com - http://www.phonenews.com and I guess it’s a new cell phone UI that uses widget-like cells… Also just saw You Tube video http://www.phonescoop.com/articles/celltop/ I know this isn’t an iPhone but it appear to give a significant lift in fuctionality to the UI and the Apple-like use of ‘widgets’ or cells is refreshing
January 9th, 2007
decat - finally watched the alltel video - sorry it took me so long! It’s VERY interesting, and as I’ve also been using the HELIO ON TOP service now for several weeks (nearly a few months now) I do see the benefit of ‘always on’ information that is present and proactive rather than something you need start up and seek. I’m also interested in alternative navigational and input methods - a friend of mine has been developing a system called of mobile tiling that is a very interesting concept started called AppLens and LaunchTile for mobile interfaces focusing on ONE HANDED USE. The abstract is posted here:
It should be interesting to note, this study was done years ago (maybe 5 or more) through Microsoft Research. And the outcome? Have you seen SCRYBE? And that is only the beginnin. This is the next generation interface for desktop migrating to mobile and more. Note also the reference to one handed gesture based interaction. The concept of ‘gesture’ is coming online - with one of our first previews being the Minority Report virtual gesture-based interface, and now the iPhone. As new systems of interaction come online it will be even more important for the learning curve to be little to none (or a standard established early on) and for UI designers and product manufacturers to truly embrace simplicity and intuitiveness at the highest level.
January 9th, 2007
Kelly — Sorry it took a while. Thank you for all of the interesting info. Really useful stuff. Looks like we are finally seeing movement in this space. By the way, they now have a celltop site. Check out http://www.mycelltop.com/#home
January 9th, 2007
OK a bit late in the post / I discovered this phone whilst in S.Korea in Dec.06 / the hot LG KE850 Prada phone came out way before iPhone and has already won international design awards! - iF Product Design Award 2007 - before Apple got theirs out! Hmmmm!