Caleb Elston 02 Aug 06

I pray for the day. “One more thing”

David 02 Aug 06

I

FredS 02 Aug 06

That prototype is horrendous.

julian 02 Aug 06

Yes, most phone UI’s suck, but there are a few good ones, like the recent SE UI that’s been refined rather nicely.

Michal Migurski 02 Aug 06

The problem with phones is rapacious carriers - no amount of UI magic is going to route around a network model that is fundamentally broken.

Ryan Allen 02 Aug 06

Nokia had it down in the earlier days when phones couldn’t do much more than make phone calls and send SMS’. Since they started adding all this new junk their UI has suffered significantly.

It took me a couple of tries to enter my PIN code correctly and I nearly locked myelf out of my phone (it turns out you had to hit this tiny little button that had OK underneath it, rather than the massive ‘Call Now’ button that you use as OK in many other contexts…

They’ve totally messed it up. Shame Nokia Shame!

Ben Kraal 02 Aug 06

The GSM band Nokia 5110 and the other really old Nokias pretty much had the UI nailed, in my opinion.

Blake 02 Aug 06

I’m looking forward to the MOTOFONE that George mentioned.

Kyle 02 Aug 06

I’m curious to see what MOTO does with their new interface. I just got a PEBL and the interface could use a lot of love. I will say that the voice commands work really well…circumventing the need to use the interface.

My guess for Apple is an iPod look ‘n’ feel with reliance on Bluetooth (Address Book and the like). Maybe a PC version of Address Book and iCal?

Ethan Poole 02 Aug 06

I have refused to buy a cellphone simply because they are ugly, hard to use (in comparison to everything else), and really have no appeal.

However, if Apple way to make a phone that was totally change my perspective on the area. A cool cell phone can exist.

RIM Rocks 02 Aug 06

Everyone should just get a Blackberry, which have excellent UI and work pretty decently as cell phones. I recently got the 8700g and it’s working great.

Edmundo 02 Aug 06

I had to use my mom’s Motorola phone and the UI stank. It was just the worst thing I’ve ever used. To send a text message, I had to confirm several times, and sometimes switch from one button to the other because it would cancel.

I still like the Nokia UI (the classic one, dunno if there is a newer one). It does the job right. Could be better, sure, but it doesn’t suck.

I’m about to get a new phone… dunno which brand to pick, though. I really don’t care much about the phone as long as it’s GSM and maybe has polyphonic ringtones and such. I’m probably sticking with nokia, unless there’s an interface that sucks less.

scott brooks 02 Aug 06

Apple knows how to cut the crap out of everything they do. They understand the user interface better then anyone in the game.
If and when apple drops a device …it will undoubtly be the best one.

The pundits will hate it ….as they do everything apple …..the purists will buy it because they are only mac ……the kids will like it because it interfaces with their ipods ……i think we have a winner.

I hate my cell phone …..that thing sucks ….so please apple fix it
cheers
scott

does IDEO still do the design for Apple ? now there is a cool company …..great innovators .

The Colonel 02 Aug 06

So it turns out, after all, that less IS more.

I, like most, want a cell that makes reliable calls. I’ve got an iPod to play music & movies.

In fact, all of the services that are offered on top of calls tend to bog down the phone’s memory, thus making interfaces and the like slower.

Features on phones are bollocks.

Thanks for posting this!

Erik 02 Aug 06

When we can get past the numeric keypad as the primary interface, we’ll be in business. Cellphones are not phones any more than cars are horseless carriages. The company that can build a completely new interface from the ground up could make life a whole lot easier for all of us.

julian 02 Aug 06

As much as I’d like to see Apple release a great phone/comm, I’m rather afraid it’ll end up as a glorified iPod nano with a few more menus and buttons. While I like the iPod’s UI, I think it does actually need a bit of work and certainly isn’t amazing enough to be transplanted to a phone without quite a bit of work.

Jeff Croft 03 Aug 06

I agree with Julian completely. I want nothing more than an amazing Apple phone, but I too harbor a fear that if Apple ever actually releases one, it will be too much iPod and not enough phone. But we’ll see.

I’ve been kind of jonesng for a so-called “smartphone” (I’m on a Sprint Samsung A900 right now — which is a great phone, just a little lacking in productivity features compared to Treos and such), but I refuse to carry something much bigger than a RAZR (the A900 is pretty much a RAZR rip). I’m anxious to try out the new Moto Q — Windows Mobile 5 is supposed to be pretty nice, The Missing Sync should make it work great with a Mac, and the Q looks quite small and thin in comparison to other smartphones.

pwb 03 Aug 06

When we can get past the numeric keypad as the primary interface, we�ll be in business.

This is an extraordinarily dumb statement. Not only are phone addresses the world over numeric, there are zillions of automated systems with primarily numeric commands. This statemet demonstrates zero understanding of everything phone-related.

well if anyone is getting close it�s Treo

This is similiarly off-base. The only thing Treo is getting close to is zero marketshare. Consumers have spoken loud and clear that the niche for “smart phones” is miniscule.

Final thought: the phone manufacturers are missing the superior input device, the scroll wheel.

Jan 03 Aug 06

Check out the nokia 1100.

It doesn’t
* take pictures
* have mp3 as ringtones
* play music
* have a calendar
* do video conferencing
* have wap/gprs/3G
* have a color screen
* have an FM radio

It is just a plain minimalistic cellphone with no fancy features. Cheap, solid (fell on the ground a couple of times, still works), readable screen (in contrast with most color screens).
The only extra feature is a flashlight builtin. (and that is actually a feature I use).

Rich Dale 03 Aug 06

Nokia made my year last week when i took delivery of my new 6280 slide phone. it is quite simply excellent, really intuitive, pretty cool looking and has loads of customisation potential. the calendar and SMS features are extremely simple to use. no i don’t work for Nokia either.

Bruce Boughton 03 Aug 06

Bollocks! Sony Ericsson have got great UI’s. I’ve just got the new K800i (having had the K750i for a year) and it’s got a really good interface. I mean there are a few odds and ends but really I would not call it a failure. Mobile phones are way ahead most other common interaction devices in terms of UI — like the ticket machine in my station that wouldn’t let me buy two travelcards by credit card (only one) and instead of telling me this, just took the pay by credit card option off the screen!

Jonas Feiring 03 Aug 06

I second that. The SE UI is quite good, and has stuff stolen from OSX all over the place. I recently had to use a Nokia for some days and the number of click required to achieve stuff was amazing (in a bad way).
That being said, the ipod has, by far, the best small screen interface out there. It will be exiting to see how they manage to integrate that into a phone. Or maybe that is backwards thinking. Maybe it will be phone functionality integrated into the iPod?

Juri Pakaste 03 Aug 06

Not only are phone addresses the world over numeric, there are zillions of automated systems with primarily numeric commands. This statemet demonstrates zero understanding of everything phone-related.

But it sure reflects my experiences after ten years with a mobile. I dial a number I don’t have in my address book maybe once in two weeks. I mostly use the numeric pad for typing text messages (and it’s clunky for that use) and pressing 2 before the green button (shortcut for my wife).

Nokia had, at least partially, the right idea with the stick phones with just the wheel. It’s just that it was at least as bad for typing text messages as is the numeric pad.

As for the automatic systems, well, yeah, there are those. On the other hand, those phones have internet connections these days. I think we could have a bit better interface for those systems, too.

Geert 03 Aug 06

I don’t believe Apple will change the world with their upcoming iPhone. There are too many players on that market. Apple waited too long. So they are not going to be one of them. Its not like they can take a iPod Nano and put a phone in it. It will take more than that.

Monkey 03 Aug 06

The carriers won’t have it.

An iPhone has to connect to the internet somehow, if you want it to download songs OTA. How does a handset do that? Through the WAP Gateway hosted by the carrier. They can (and often do) block devices, IP ranges, and even certain types of content from going through those gateways.

This presupposes that Apple would want a phone that does traditional GSM/CDMA access. Not sure Steve wants to fight that war.

An iPod with wifi, built-in mike and speaker…and with Skype…that’s something that could be a “phone” without being a phone, and could browse iTunes with much more freedom than over the carrier’s networks. That would be game changing, IMO.

Rami Kayyali 03 Aug 06

I’ve always thought that we’ll eventually be carrying our music players and cellphones in the same device, but I don’t know about Apple designing a phone UI. They do have a lot of experience there, but if all they know is the iPod interface, I think it’ll suck.

I’ve had a Nokia 6100 for four years, then I switched to JAM, now I’m stuck in-between phones. I think 6100 got it right, it was solid, easy to use and doesn’t crash. I can’t believe we’re living in an age where cellphones are allowed to crash without capital punishment.

I’m sorry, I drifted a little too far. I can’t wait to see if (or when) Apple releases a phone, though I have a bad feeling about this.

Jayme 03 Aug 06

I have to say, I would only buy an Apple phone if it didn’t make me use iTunes.. I have over 2000 songs on my computer in WMA which I use with my MP3 player.. I don’t want to have to buy an iPod and start using iTunes. iTunes sucks compared to WMP 11.

erik 03 Aug 06

Rami i agree with you:
“I can’t believe we’re living in an age where cellphones are allowed to crash without capital punishment.”

I am on my second BB 7100 in 6 months because the thing crashes so bad that I cant reinstall the software. Personally I love Nokia’s interface and the 6800 was the best phone I ever owned. I am awaiting the E70 but anxious about all those enterprise “features” crashing the phone.

Also, I agree with pwb:
“Final thought: the phone manufacturers are missing the superior input device, the scroll wheel”

Can anyone else see a rotory phone like interface?
That would be so retro

jammy 03 Aug 06

You guys must not work for a company that designs cell phones or don’t know anybody that does…

Mobile phone companies can design the coolest, nicest and easiest to use UI to their hearts content (I Know we do), but carriers will always swoop down with their “ideas” and mess everything up. Why you ask do we let them get away with it, because they pay the bills, that’s right, they are our customers not you, the everyday user. Sad isn’t it.

The only reason Apple may be able to get away with this is because they are bypassing carriers and creating their own phone company via an MVNO. Wish we could too, but not at the moment.

So until then we fight the good fight as much as we can stand it. In the end you can only get beat down so much before you just throw in the towel. So don’t blame us, blame your carriers!!

jammy 03 Aug 06

You guys must not work for a company that designs cell phones or don’t know anybody that does…

Mobile phone companies can design the coolest, nicest and easiest to use UI to their hearts content (I Know we do), but carriers will always swoop down with their “ideas” and mess everything up. Why you ask do we let them get away with it, because they pay the bills, that’s right, they are our customers not you, the everyday user. Sad isn’t it.

The only reason Apple may be able to get away with this is because they are bypassing carriers and creating their own phone company via an MVNO. Wish we could too, but not at the moment.

So until then we fight the good fight as much as we can stand it. In the end you can only get beat down so much before you just throw in the towel. So don’t blame us, blame your carriers!!

jammy 03 Aug 06

You guys must not work for a company that designs cell phones or don’t know anybody that does…

Mobile phone companies can design the coolest, nicest and easiest to use UI to their hearts content (I Know we do), but carriers will always swoop down with their “ideas” and mess everything up. Why you ask do we let them get away with it, because they pay the bills, that’s right, they are our customers not you, the everyday user. Sad isn’t it.

The only reason Apple may be able to get away with this is because they are bypassing carriers and creating their own phone company via an MVNO. Wish we could too, but not at the moment.

So until then we fight the good fight as much as we can stand it. In the end you can only get beat down so much before you just throw in the towel. So don’t blame us, blame your carriers!!

jammy 03 Aug 06

You guys must not work for a company that designs cell phones or don’t know anybody that does…

Mobile phone companies can design the coolest, nicest and easiest to use UI to their hearts content (I Know we do), but carriers will always swoop down with their “ideas” and mess everything up. Why you ask do we let them get away with it, because they pay the bills, that’s right, they are our customers not you, the everyday user. Sad isn’t it.

The only reason Apple may be able to get away with this is because they are bypassing carriers and creating their own phone company via an MVNO. Wish we could too, but not at the moment.

So until then we fight the good fight as much as we can stand it. In the end you can only get beat down so much before you just throw in the towel. So don’t blame us, blame your carriers!!

Jammy 03 Aug 06

You guys must not work for a company that designs cell phones or don’t know anybody that does…

Mobile phone companies can design the coolest, nicest and easiest to use UI to their hearts content (I Know we do), but carriers will always swoop down with their “ideas” and mess everything up. Why you ask do we let them get away with it, because they pay the bills, that’s right, they are our customers not you, the everyday user. Sad isn’t it.

The only reason Apple may be able to get away with this is because they are bypassing carriers and creating their own phone company via an MVNO. Wish we could too, but not at the moment.

So until then we fight the good fight as much as we can stand it. In the end you can only get beat down so much before you just throw in the towel. So don’t blame us, blame your carriers!!

Spike 03 Aug 06

He posted it thirty times! He must be right!

jammy 03 Aug 06

sorry about that, the proxy I’m behind doesn’t seem to like the site.

If I could delete them I would. Sorry again, I hope it doesn’t diminish my message, though I’m sure it will.

MrBlank 03 Aug 06

Why you ask do we let them get away with it, because they pay the bills, that�s right, they are our customers not you, the everyday user. Sad isn�t it.

I can understand needing a job to make a living. That�s great, but your comments don�t really help either. They seem to justify current poor practices and hinder change.

Are you interested in making peoples� phone better, or do you want to make money? If you�re just fighting the �good fight� in your safety zone then you’re not advancing anything. Innovation doesn�t happen without risks.

Don�t blame you? You are the problem! If you just want to make a living satisfying corporate drones, go for it. I like money too, just don�t come around putting blame on someone else and making excuses in a forum where people are hungry for innovation.

I hate cell phones and would gladly pay three times I do now for one that worked, made sense and didn�t nickel and dime me for every little thing.

Henk Kleynhans 03 Aug 06

The Nokia 1100 got it right.

It’s considered too cheap to sell in the US market.

If Apple were to do anything, they’d take the Nokia 1100, make the edges more rectangular, put matt finishing on and sell it for 5 times more… thus STILL being affordable AND simple.

Bob Aman 03 Aug 06

Best part is that if they make it, someone will have Ubuntu running on it in a week.

pwb 03 Aug 06

Mobile phone companies can design the coolest, nicest and easiest to use UI to their hearts content (I Know we do), but carriers will always swoop down with their �ideas� and mess everything up.

That is simply not the case. The UIs are lousy before the carriers screw them up more.

I don�t believe Apple will change the world with their upcoming iPhone. There are too many players on that market. Apple waited too long.

I disagree. Most people replace their phones every 12-24 months and have little brand loyalty. And Motorola showed with the Razr that it’s possible to make a hot phone that flies off the shelves and garners good marketshare out of no where.

Ken Walker 03 Aug 06

I dunno, JF. Jobs had the brass ones to take on the music industry and hold his ground on 99-cent downloads, but the cell carriers? This product would put Apple’s success at the mercy of the likes of Verizon.

I know Apple’s not afraid to take risks (like killing the iPod mini at the height of its popularity), but this? Unless Steve’s been doing some crazy wheeling and dealing with the heads of the major carriers — which, admittedly, is exactly how he launched iTunes — I don’t see a mobile phone being a win for Apple in terms of profits.

The only way I can imagine raging success for them is if they somehow take the mobile experience where it’s never been before. When the iPod launched, it was mainly competing with CD players — people bought into it because 5 GB in your pocket was a drastically better way to experience their music. The iPhone, as best I can tell, is mainly competing against existing cell phones and the iPod itself. Sure, using one device rather than two would be great, but I don’t think it’s going to send consumers out in droves to go buy one.

Kevin 03 Aug 06

BTW, the Chicago Tribune didn’t require me to login.

Ken Walker 03 Aug 06

I dunno, JF. Jobs had the brass ones to take on the music industry and hold his ground on 99-cent downloads, but the cell carriers? This product would put Apple’s success at the mercy of the likes of Verizon.

I know Apple’s not afraid to take risks (like killing the iPod mini at the height of its popularity), but this? Unless Steve’s been doing some crazy wheeling and dealing with the heads of the major carriers — which, admittedly, is exactly how he launched iTunes — I don’t see a mobile phone being a win for Apple in terms of profits.

The only way I can imagine raging success for them is if they somehow take the mobile experience where it’s never been before. When the iPod launched, it was mainly competing with CD players — people bought into it because 5 GB in your pocket was a drastically better way to experience their music. The iPhone, as best I can tell, is mainly competing against existing cell phones and the iPod itself. Sure, using one device rather than two would be great, but I don’t think it’s going to send consumers out in droves to go buy one.

Mark 03 Aug 06

That is simply not the case. The UIs are lousy before the carriers screw them up more.

You are talking about products - I believe jammy was talking about designs that did not make it into products. Phone design is much different than web design - if you have not participated in product development of consumer electronics then you have no idea how many hurdles and pitfalls lie between designs and shipping products.

And Motorola showed with the Razr that it�s possible to make a hot phone that flies off the shelves and garners good marketshare out of no where.

Out of nowhere? Hardly. How many other models has Moto shipped and also hoped would sell well? Unfortunately (if you care about UI design), what the RAZR showed is that consumers care little about UI design but care a lot about industrial design, form factors and product popularity.

Mark 03 Aug 06

That is simply not the case. The UIs are lousy before the carriers screw them up more.

You are talking about products - I believe jammy was talking about designs that did not make it into products. Phone design is much different than web design - if you have not participated in product development of consumer electronics then you have no idea how many hurdles and pitfalls lie between designs and shipping products.

And Motorola showed with the Razr that it�s possible to make a hot phone that flies off the shelves and garners good marketshare out of no where.

Out of nowhere? Hardly. How many other models has Moto shipped and also hoped would sell well? Unfortunately (if you care about UI design), what the RAZR showed is that consumers care little about UI design but care a lot about industrial design, form factors and product popularity.

ajr 03 Aug 06

It would be cool if one manufacturer would focus solely on a line of UI-less phones… that out of the box would strictly dial a number. The manufacturer would release software that would allow the users to customize the way their phone operates.

I think a new economy could be created from armchair or professional UI developers… want a new UI for your phone… browse the site, dial a #, the new UI is installed and a charge of $9.95 shows up on your bill.

George 03 Aug 06

A large problem, I think, is that the phone makers tie together good aesthetic design and quantity of features. It has always been possible to get a phone that just makes phone calls (and so has a solid, simple UI), but to get it you’ve had to buy the cheapest thing going and suffer the ugly design (and marketing-campaign created social stigma) that comes with it.

jammy 03 Aug 06

Thank you Mark you are completely correct we have plenty of great UI designs around here that don’t get into products.

We also have plenty of great UI designs that get chopped off at the knees by Carriers and then get put into products anyway.

In my opinion the RAZR made and broke us all at the same time. It sold wonderfully because of the ID, but, like everyone knows the UI is lame. Its success prompted everyone to talk about and focus on ID for a long time around here. I mean it still pretty much is, but they are finally realizing that ID is great for selling a phone, but it’s the UI that keeps’em coming back to us. I�m hearing UI come up more and more by the upper managers in terms of its importance, so the future seems to be off to a good start� maybe Apples venture into the mobile phone space will spur them on even more?

jammy 03 Aug 06

Thank you Mark you are completely correct we have plenty of great UI designs around here that don’t get into products.

We also have plenty of great UI designs that get chopped off at the knees by Carriers and then get put into products anyway.

In my opinion the RAZR made and broke us all at the same time. It sold wonderfully because of the ID, but, like everyone knows the UI is lame. Its success prompted everyone to talk about and focus on ID for a long time around here. I mean it still pretty much is, but they are finally realizing that ID is great for selling a phone, but it’s the UI that keeps’em coming back to us. I�m hearing UI come up more and more by the upper managers in terms of its importance, so the future seems to be off to a good start� maybe Apples venture into the mobile phone space will spur them on even more?

Edmundo 03 Aug 06

Right, so cell phone UI sucks. But which one of them all is tolerable enough to use?

Swati 04 Aug 06

Get a BlackBerry.

Gordon Montgomery 04 Aug 06

I guess these are all US-market-oriented comments?

When I came here from the EU in 1999 I was flabbergasted by the all round dismal state of the “cell” phone market.

I mean, we sit over there in the EU with all our millenia of culture and look over here at you guys and marvel at all the new stuff you try. We all think (before arriving) that everything will be the freakin’ holo-deck or something…sorta…but I digress…

From coverage to plans to devices to interfaces to prices it all sucked (as you say ;) back then and still does. I believe the current quote is that “Ghana in West Africa actually has a better mobile phone system that the USA. “

We need to ask why the situation is so bad (well I guess that’s done by JF already) and then put serious pressure on the major companies to work together to bring us the flexibility and reliablity we need. Otherwise we’re all chasing after the next Treo or Blackberry or T-mobile MDA for just one more feature (that we don’t really need).

The question is what do we really need? Starbucks-style 1900 types of coffee choices or just a decent cafeine shot?

So, I re-thought all of that after playing with outlook 2003, plaxo, new phones, new PC/Macbook (!?) etc etc and now I’ve started to use some online tools instead to take the “pressure” off my mobile device and increase the geographical PIM flexibility with my overall setup.

Basically my mantra is “all my info, anywhere (if and when I need it).

So, I am trying www.airset.com (no affiliation) with my T-mobile MDA, quad-band, GSM, world phone (blah, blah, blah but it works for me) and it certainly seems to offer the organization levels I need: contacts and notifications mainly.

…just another opinionated bite to chew on ;)

thx.
Gordon.

Gordon Montgomery 04 Aug 06

I guess these are all US-market-oriented comments?

When I came here from the EU in 1999 I was flabbergasted by the all round dismal state of the “cell” phone market.

I mean, we sit over there in the EU with all our millenia of culture and look over here at you guys and marvel at all the new stuff you try. We all think (before arriving) that everything will be the freakin’ holo-deck or something…sorta…but I digress…

From coverage to plans to devices to interfaces to prices it all sucked (as you say ;) back then and still does. I believe the current quote is that “Ghana in West Africa actually has a better mobile phone system that the USA. “

We need to ask why the situation is so bad (well I guess that’s done by JF already) and then put serious pressure on the major companies to work together to bring us the flexibility and reliablity we need. Otherwise we’re all chasing after the next Treo or Blackberry or T-mobile MDA for just one more feature (that we don’t really need).

The question is what do we really need? Starbucks-style 1900 types of coffee choices or just a decent cafeine shot?

So, I re-thought all of that after playing with outlook 2003, plaxo, new phones, new PC/Macbook (!?) etc etc and now I’ve started to use some online tools instead to take the “pressure” off my mobile device and increase the geographical PIM flexibility with my overall setup.

Basically my mantra is “all my info, anywhere (if and when I need it).

So, I am trying www.airset.com (no affiliation) with my T-mobile MDA, quad-band, GSM, world phone (blah, blah, blah but it works for me) and it certainly seems to offer the organization levels I need: contacts and notifications mainly.

…just another opinionated bite to chew on ;)

thx.
Gordon.

Bruce Boughton 04 Aug 06

“He listed the three most useful features of communication, I�d like add a 4th, as yet fantasy function of �text like voice messaging� (see the last 2/3rds of that post)�.and no, I don�t mean Voice Mail.”

My SE K800i does this. It’s achieved my sending an audio file as an MMS (multimedia message, a.k.a. “picture message”). I’ve not tried it out yet but I see no reason why it wouldn’t work.

The US phone market sounds very backward. I mean how many years did it take you lot to get SMS? Pah!

heri 04 Aug 06

get a nokia 5210 if you dont like menus. i had one 3 years ago. very good as a phone does nothing else, very straightforward ui.

Eddie 04 Aug 06

Bruce-

I’ve been thinking about that. The same comment was just posted on my link above.

I’ll play around with it, but it’s still not quite what I’m looking for:
1) I got a “cannot read file” error of some sort when someone tried to reply (using a Treo)
2) (more of a knock on my handset than the idea…) I can easily record a voice note on my handset by using the RAZR smart key, but I can’t select and address book to send it via MMS. Instead, I have to select:

• Messages—>


• Create Message—>


• New Multimedia Msg—>


• Insert—>


• Voice Record

Anyway- I want that feature, but more easy to do. Maybe I can play with my handset shortcuts to work for me. Thanks for pointing that out.

pwb 04 Aug 06

One interesting angle is to compare the mobile phone industry with what the internet might look like without network neutrality. What if the ISPs dictated what hardware, UIs and domain names could be used?

Mark 04 Aug 06

Great point about network neutrality pwb. It took me a while to adjust to the perspective of the handset manufacturers that their customers are not the handset users - their customers are the carriers. Cellphones are not really consumer electronics products in that regard.

Mark 04 Aug 06

Great point about network neutrality pwb. It took me a while to adjust to the perspective of the handset manufacturers that their customers are not the handset users - their customers are the carriers. Cellphones are not really consumer electronics products in that regard.

Eks 04 Aug 06

This is a fake phone people!!!!
Evidence: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYF3BpbFI9c

reed 08 Aug 06

I actually think that the Symbian UI is extremely easy to navigate. Besides being cross-platform, my Nokia N70 runs Symbian 8.1 and it’s extremely intuitive.

There are five icons, and two text-based links (for the two top buttons) all on the main screen, which also manages to show the current time, battery life and reception strength.

I’ve always found it difficult to navigate through any other phone UI, but with Symbian, each item is grouped into a simple category, and works smartly. Example: when I slide open the camera on my phone, the N70 immediately pops open the camera application. When I close the slider, it restores. Or, if I’m listening to music and a text message or call comes in, it neatly suspends the song, allows me to answer or reply, and as soon as I do so (or don’t!) the music resume right back where it started.

A true multi-tasking OS and an intuitive UI make Symbian far and away the best, in my opinion.

Alex Cabrera 10 Aug 06

Just came across this, Fastap, seems like it’s a step in the right direction. The OS needs to be built around the physical interface, and currently the physical interface options we have frankly suck.

Bruce Boughton 15 Aug 06

“Example: when I slide open the camera on my phone, the N70 immediately pops open the camera application. When I close the slider, it restores. Or, if I�m listening to music and a text message or call comes in, it neatly suspends the song, allows me to answer or reply, and as soon as I do so (or don�t!) the music resume right back where it started.”

This is something I take for granted now with the K800i. I think SE (and Symbian) have nailed the details and it’s the small things that really matter.

Bruce Boughton 15 Aug 06

I just checked out that fastap thing — that is neat!! I’m not sure if they A-Z arrangement is the best arrangement and I’d have to use it to see if it works as well as it looks it would. But that is definitely an interesting design.

caitlin stevens 15 Sep 06

The mobile is the best!Come on, rock my world australia