What Happened to the Innovation in Smartphone Design?

[Mike Temporale]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.furrygoat.com/2005/11/innovation_and_.html' target='_blank'>http://www.furrygoat.com/2005/11/innovation_and_.html</a><br /><br /></div><i>"So in my typical gadget-centric mind, I decided to start looking around at what was around these days for phones/pda hybrids. To be honest, I had stopped keeping up with what's new with PDA's once switching to the Audiovox, as the technology has hit a plateau - there's been nothing revolutionary around them in the last few years, and I had mentally 'checked-out' from them. (heck, I even said that the Audiovox wasn't exciting - I stick to that even after owning one)."</i><br /><br />Steve Makofsky has written a post on his blog <i><a href="http://www.furrygoat.com/2005/11/innovation_and_.html">the furrygoat experience,</a></i> about innovation in the PDA/Phone arena. In the end, he asks: <i>"Has real innovation just stalled in the PDA/Phone world?"</i> To be honest, I think I would have to say yes; especially in the phone space. Take the i-mate SP5m for instance, the latest and greatest Smartphone. It's really just the same old design with WiFi and a nice screen. Where's the OLED screens? hot-swappable keypad/keyboard? wrist-watch sized Smartphone? It's just the same old flip/candy-bar style phone with a couple new features. Boring. What do you think?

[encece]

I totally agree. Though advancement has been made in size and refinement of function....nothing major has been intorduced.

Also, the new OS, WM5, is basically just a fixed version of previous releases. I was disappointed to find there was nothing really new.

Even if they added GPS to the phones as they are starting to do soon, that is still nothing major....though I would like it very much! :)

Baby-Steps are all that we are seeing. When is someone going to reinvent the wheel for the better. A new interface. A better homescreen. Intelligent Applications. "What do I need to do to get sharks with freekin' laser beams on their heads!?!".

I like the idea of a Smartphone watch....but it would need all of the same functionality....I can't lose any at this point.

Then again....I could just strap my phone to my arm in the meantime! :)

[Janak Parekh]

While the Smartphone form factor remains the same, I argue that is by design -- the value proposition of the Smartphone is the familiarity to the end-user. If you remove that requirement (say, Pocket PC Phones), I'd argue that the HTC Wizard, Apache, and Universal are leaps and bounds over what previously passed for PDA phones before. I also disagree with him that the UI or the device is exactly the same. WM5PPC makes a huge leap forward into reducing required interaction with the touch screen.

Admittedly, the one thing I'd like to see with Smartphones is more attempts at embedding a QWERTY keyboard without sacrificing the cell-phone-likeness of the device. This isn't easy, though, as the Voq indicates -- the resulting device was too big and ugly-looking to gain any traction.

And, to Microsoft's credit, they are actively working on making WM a better and better platform with every release. Alas, the NDA prevents me from saying anything more. :(

--janak

[encece]

Say it....I wont tell anyone! PLEEEEEAAASSSSEEEEE!!!!!!

[Janak Parekh]

Say it....I wont tell anyone! PLEEEEEAAASSSSEEEEE!!!!!!
Trust me, I wish I could. :cry: I can just tell you that Microsoft isn't stagnating on Windows Mobile.

--janak

[encece]

I can say that they drag their feet getting new stuff to market!
They like baby steps....I like BIG STEPS! ;)

[Mike Temporale]

Admittedly, the one thing I'd like to see with Smartphones is more attempts at embedding a QWERTY keyboard without sacrificing the cell-phone-likeness of the device. This isn't easy, though, as the Voq indicates -- the resulting device was too big and ugly-looking to gain any traction.

Exactly. Aside from the Voq, the only other device with a keyboard that we've seen is the Q - which is still months away from release. Lets not even mention the fact that the Q is a direct rip off of the Blackberry, by design of course.

It would be nice to see a greater range of devices with different shapes and sizes. How about a watch size phone that also has a docking station that would allow you to convert the watch phone into a candy-bar phone.

[Janak Parekh]

I can say that they drag their feet getting new stuff to market!
They like baby steps....I like BIG STEPS! ;)
I agree totally. That said, development resources are limited, so it takes time to build all this stuff. ;)

How about a watch size phone that also has a docking station that would allow you to convert the watch phone into a candy-bar phone.
The problem with this is that even "dumb" watch prototypes are thick and bulky, especially due to battery technology. We're not quite there yet. My SPOT watch is already bigger than what most people would want...

--janak

[Jason Dunn]

It would be nice to see a greater range of devices with different shapes and sizes. How about a watch size phone that also has a docking station that would allow you to convert the watch phone into a candy-bar phone.

While I too would like to see that, the truth is that consumer are skittish and reluctant to adopt designs that are deemed "too weird".

[Janak Parekh]

While I too would like to see that, the truth is that consumer are skittish and reluctant to adopt designs that are deemed "too weird".
Exactly. I think that Microsoft views the current Smartphones' form factor as appealing to end-users because they already know how to use a cell phone, and the Smartphone looks just like one. Quite a few people have been impressed with my i600 -- a flip phone that allows me to install programs -- more so than people who see me with a Pocket PC Phone ("it's big/weird/etc.")

--janak