A lot have been said all over the internet and on paper about iPhone,
four months ago I've talked about 5 things that iPhone brought and
what we should learn:
http://lists.paradigma.pt/pipermail/tce/2008-March/000217.html
Meanwhile, there's some absurd posts about the reasons for not buying
an iPhone, which stays on the software level and how that limits
people freedom:
http://blog.softwarelivre.sapo.pt/2008/07/11/5-motivos-para-evitar-o-iphone-3g/
Curiously I didn't see any comments about the user experience that
iPhone currently breaks. Yes, it's not only disruption that iPhone
brings but also cuts some currently base user experience. Here's why:
- Finger experience: everywhere I've look, people are using the
iPhone with both hands and can't do it only with one. Dialing or
writing cannot be used with just our thumb, it needs the index finger,
since it's smaller and acts like a stylus pen. So in order to use the
index finger, we need the other hand to hold the device. This breaks
the current interaction with mobile devices, they should be easy to
access with one hand only.
- Application experience: they've created a real market for user
applications, which can only be bought there, where they can control
it. One thing about the current market mobile applications is to
"borrow" and "take" applications on the run, from friends, sites,
bluetooth or just download them from the internet. It's an easy
process for both developers and users. People are in charge of their
device and what they want or not. The iPhone way stops this long
process of application evolution and sends us back to the 90's, where
applications can only be installed by Nokia support.
- Fast access experience: like I said on March about the 5 thing post
about iPhone, it's a cuddly device with few buttons, but one thing is
a few, another is none. iPhone has no fast access keys to use, it has
only a button that shows the front menu, but there's no dedicated key
to access the camera, either no voice dial key. So people can't take a
fast camera snapshot with just one finger (see the finger experience).
This amazes me, since simplicity is a good thing, but this breaks the
paradigm of fast access device with one finger.
- Custom made experience: in the iPhone people cannot change the
current theme, ringtones or the way to fast access menus. It's a bulk
device that people should get used to. Again, this is so nineties.
People are far used to change everything on their own, it's their
'hacker' spirit within calling. So he have this paradigm of
customization, not only on software but also on hardware. It's a
natural thing, people want to express their creativity on those
devices. iPhone breaks that current wish to customize devices.
- Consumer experience: everyone that ever used a phone knows that
the battery, screen and keys can be fast replaced. It's normal to do
that since people are clumsy and can drop the device. It's Murphy Law
on butter calling. This allows people not to worry too much about
these kind of devices. It's a consumer thing. If the battery dies, we
go to that corner shop and buy a new one. No hard feelings and
everyone's happy. If the screen is scratched, we just replaced it in
no time. iPhone is again a bulk hardware device and breaks the
consumer way of using a phone and replacing it parts of it.
One last thing goes for the current features within. It lacks video
calls, voice dials and memory / space expandability. Back in the
Mobile2.0 europe Antonio Vince Staybl, from itsmy.com, said that with
an iPhone we could browse, then browse and then browse again. It's an
internet tablet with voice support and it should be sold as that, not
an phone killer.
If you want to comment of this, fell free to do so to my email: [EMAIL
PROTECTED]
//VD
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