Tagged: iphone

iPhone Usability "Quirks"

I hate the iPhone. Always have, probably always will. However, as a geek in the mobile industry, I have to try the full gamut of devices. So, this weekend, for testing purposes, I've been lumbered with an iPhone 4S.

My aesthete friends are always complaining about how cobbled together Android is. Because there is no overall owner, the UI is full of unintuitive quirks. That's a fair criticism - some parts of Android are incredibly shonky. But, to hear those in the gilded cage speak, iOS was delivered as the platonic ideal of what smartphone should be. It is perfect, and gets more... er... perfecter with every release.

That's horseshit.

I know that coming from one phone to another, you're bound to find things which don't work quite the way you expect. This is different though, there are such bone-headed flaws present throughout iOS that I can only conclude that Stockholm Syndrome has set in amongst its users!

Firstly, it's a relief not to have to use the accurs'd iTunes to set up your phone. But, there is a fly in the ointmet. To set up the phone, you must have a SIM in the phone.

Why? Seriously - why? Literally every other phone I've ever owned "just works" when you take it out of the box. Want to use Android or BlackBerry using WiFi? Fine. So, I stuck in a SIM and it got through set up. Guess what? The SIM was invalid - it didn't attach to any network. Well done, Apple - another pointless loop for customers to jump through to pacify your insane control-freakery.

The rest of the set-up process was predictably poor - despite setting my language as English, and knowing which country I'm in, the iPhone presented me with a country list starting with Afghanistan. That's a heck of a long scroll to get to the UK.

Still, initial impressions rarely count, do they? Let's look at what the rest of the experience delivers.

iphone clock-fs8
Well, the date on the icon is right - but the time is wrong. What's the point in that?

As it happens, there's a software update for the iPhone. I took a look at the details. Bizarrely, this link isn't clickable.

iphone non clickable update link-fs8
Great work - make it look like a link, but don't let anyone click on it. Good work there!

I went into music, there's nothing in there - other than this rather confusing pop-up.
itunes videos-fs8
I assume "OK" should read "Music"?

But look - there's a handy little link to iTunes. Naturally, it doesn't work.
itunes non clickable-fs8
You can click and click and click - there's no way to get to iTunes from this page.

Was this thing designed by a chimp?

Clicking around the App Store - which apparently has revolutionised the retail industry - I kept encountering this error.
item not available-fs8
Top tip, Apple: don't offer me link to things I can't get.

The capitalisation on this seems really off to me.
up to date-fs8
Still, attention to detail is for losers, right?

Now, on to my chief annoyance. The keyboard. I know Apple loves skeuomorphic interfaces, but this is ridiculous. Hit that shift key as often as you like - but nothing changes.
iphone keyboard-fs8
Why? It's really annoying to have to look in the lower left hand corner every time you want to see if you've hit the shift key.

Oh, bonus fuckwittery, I spent a couple of minutes looking for the "opening quote" symbol.
quote-fs8
My problem or theirs?

Honestly, this post is boring even me. It's obvious that the famed Apple design is a bit shabby. I just don't get why everyone raves about it.

Every device has quirks - and the iPhone is no exception. Yes, we should strive for perfection in design - but people are so desperate that they are being seduced into the worship of false idols.

Apple - Death Through Familiarity

I like predicting the death of the iPhone. I've been doing it since the device was first released - and I'm sure, one day, my doom-mongering will be proved correct!

Apple is at an interesting nexus with its iPhone. It's hugely popular, vastly profitable, beloved by millions, and plagiarised by its competitors. The only fly in the ointment? It's just a little bit dull!

Dull is, of course, another word for consistent. Predictable. Comforting. Pick up an original iPhone and the newly released model and see if you can spot the difference in the user interface. Yes, the screen is nicer and the processor is faster - but the same basic grid of static icons have persisted throughout the last 5 years. The basic UI elements haven't changed a great deal since inception.

Customers love the fact that they don't have to learn a new set of icons and interactions. That one of the reasons that iPhone users are statistically unlikely to churn away from the platform. Not only do all their games, apps, music, and settings seamlessly transfer to the new device - so does their learned behaviour.

The problem that Apple now faces is how it will incorporate innovative new features into the iPhone without disturbing the existing paradigm of static icons and modal dialogue boxes. It has successfully manage to cram in Android's notification bar without too much trouble. Will it be able to add widgets, screen gestures, radial menus, lateral scrolling, and all the other UI tools which customers are learning to love on other platforms?

This was the problem that Nokia faced with Symbian. The Symbian UI was clean, uncluttered, simple and static - much like iOS. Customers bought Symbian phones in their droves because they appreciated the design consistency.

Then things changed.

The Internet became popular and all of a sudden Symbian users were bombarded by notifications "helpfully" asking them if they were really sure that they want wanted to connect to the Internet?

Notifications - for so long the preserve of SMS only - suddenly had to be extended to MySpace and Facebook.

Apps needed to run in the background to provide a constant source of information to the user.

The architecture and UI of Symbian just wasn't up to the job. Even the very latest - and possibly last - device, the N8, feels like a phone from 10 years ago with the modern features shoehorned in. Last year, Symbian was taken out to the woodshed and shot by Stephen Elop. It was a small mercy (and one likely to be visited on Elop by the Nokia shareholders before too long).

Is the iPhone about to reach that tipping point? Users with "unlimited" data plans are still forced to download certain large items over wifi. Users dissatisfied with the browser or the mapping apps are unable to set other apps to take over their duties. Power users are frustrated that they can't use better keyboards.

All little niggles, for now - and all straightforward to fix. But in fixing those problems, and modernising the UI, Apple risks alienating its core customers

The SIM-less Phone Is Coming. And It Should Scare The Shit Out Of You

The argument over the nano-SIM is a distraction. It's a sleight of hand designed to catch the industry off guard and fool it into doing something really stupid.

The SIM is designed to do a number of things; encryption, address storage, hold SMS, etc.

Most importantly, it's designed to be swappable. With GSM, you can choose your phone and your network provider separately. Want the iPhone? Hate Three's network? Stick in a Tesco Mobile SIM. Love Vodafone? Think their range of phones is crap? Buy the phone and service separately.

It means carries and manufacturers don't have control of customer behaviour. This is a good thing and allows our form of free-market capitalism to flourish with increased competition.

The reason that Apple claim their iPhone needed a micro-SIM was that the space inside the iPhone was too cramped for a regular SIM. This is hogwash.

SIM Card Sizes - by Mroach The size saved by the mico-SIM is miniscule. It was originally intended for small or embedded devices where space was at a premium. While the iPhone is a complex bit of kit, the SIM tray is already close to the size of the full SIM. It's simply not credible that the iPhone was unique and had to have a new SIM.

So what was the purpose?

Apple want to control the entire experience. You buy the Apple iPhone in the Apple Store. You download music and games from Apple's iTunes. You send messages over Apple iMessage and Facetime. They want a 100% Apple experience.

When the iPhone was limited to a single carrier per market, they also had that control over the networks. They could (and did) dictate how much the monthly tariff cost. How many minutes, texts, and MB an iPhone user would have. They even prevented the phone being sold to PAYG customers.

You may have thought you were on O2, but you were really on an Apple MVNO.

That has (mostly) changed now. You can get an iPhone and put it on any network, at any price point, with any services and wrest control from Apple. And they hate losing control.

The micro-SIM was their first move. Use a SIM which cannot be swapped with any other phone. Make it hard enough to get a normal SIM into an iPhone that most people won't bother. Yes, there are SIM cutters and caddies - this is an imperfect solution they foisted on to the marketplace. One which is backfiring as other manufacturers start using the micro-SIM.

Their next move is a phone with a "Virtual SIM" - Tomi Ahonen has a little bit of background - no physical SIM card to be swapped.

It's quite simple technically. You buy your iPhone, plug it into iTunes, and tell it which price-plan you want. You pay Apple directly and they update the iPhone's "Virtual SIM". Hey presto, you're on the network.

What network? Who knows! As far as you're concerned, you're on Apple. It may be Vodafone, it may be O2. And, at any moment, Apple could update the Virtual SIM and you'd be on T-Mobile.

I've Got A Bad Feeling About This

There are several reasons why the Virtual SIM is a dangerous idea.

  • If you're unlucky enough to live in an area with bad reception from Orange? Too bad. All the people who matter live in cities with excellent reception...
  • Reduced choice in price-plans.
  • Zero competition in price.
  • Security. Networks are very reluctant to give their encryption keys to Apple. Considering how easy it is to jailbrake an iPhone, this is wise.
  • If or when Apple go bust - you may be left with a brick. There will be no way to update it.
  • Roaming costs. Maybe Apple will do a deal with international roaming operators and reduce cost? If they don't, there's no way you can swap to a domestic SIM.
  • Want to move your number to a disposable phone if you're going partying / sailing / camping? Tough. The number stays with the phone.
  • When Apple decide to up their prices - you can't leave for another provider.
  • Phone damaged? No easy way to move your number to another handset.
  • I think you get the picture.

Luckily the operators kicked the proposal into the long grass. But I know that several parties are interested in Virtual SIMs - it's a zombie idea which will keep coming back unless we kill it with fire.

This is terrible for customers - but you can see why Apple love it so.

The Kindle Conundrum

I've used Apple as a convenient scapegoat here. They're not the only ones planning for a virtual SIM. In some ways, the Amazon Kindle was the first to try this strategy in the UK. As I've blogged about, the Kindle has a non-removeable SIM card. Well, you can remove it if you're handy with a screwdriver and don't mind voiding your warranty.

In this case, Amazon have an exclusive deal with Vodafone to provide worldwide 3G roaming on their network. If the SIM was replaced, the customer would have to pay the roaming bills.

The Kindle can only work with Amazon's services - all the browsing goes through their proxy - but that doesn't necessarily mean that it couldn't use a 3rd party SIM card. If you've no Vodafone reception or WiFi at home, it may even be worth your while paying O2 for a data-only SIM.

But the Kindle is sold as a single service. So it's acceptable. Barely.

Future Imperfect

I dread the future where devices are locked down like American CDMA phones. No choice other than what the manufacturer demands. Gone will be the days of choosing the right phone and the right price-plan. You'll take the service you're given and will have to put up with it.

For now, the operators are on the side of consumers against manufacturers. But it only takes one to start us down that slippery slope.

Windows Phone 7 vs Android

Last week, I posted this tounge-in-cheek suggestion.

Prediction*: iPhone5 & Samsung Galaxy S 3 to have IDENTICAL hardware. Battle of the OS / ecosystems!*Well, wishful thinking!
26/04/2012 09:22 via ©Terence Eden SomeRightsReservedReplyRetweetFavorite
@edent
Terence Eden

Wouldn't it be great if there was a proper show-down between the two major players? You could really compare which OS was best given the same hardware. Is iOS's camera software better than Android's when given the same lens and CCD? Which runs faster when CPU, GPU, and memory are identical?

According to WP-Life, Samsung's Galaxy S III will run both Android and Windows Phone 7!

Judging by the article, there will be some cosmetic changes - but the basic hardware will be the same.

What a show that will be! I think WP7 is a beautiful but flawed OS. Android is powerful, but struggles on anything less than excellent hardware.

One day - one glorious day! - we may see hardware which will accept any software. Imagine, just like a PC, being able to buy the hardware and then choose which OS you want on it. I've written about porting Android to Nokia hardware, and I run Ubuntu on my MacBook Pro.

A true ecosystem involves freedom to move between platforms without artificial restrictions.

The Perfect Phone

After the disaster that was my experience with the Nokia Lumia and the rather underwhelming time I had with the BlackBerry Torch, I've been thinking a lot about what my perfect phone would be.

I think I've found it...

Perfect Phone

My Photoshop skills are legendary!

Here are the things that I want - no one platform covers them all, so I've nicked the best bits from each.

Blackberry

Here's what BlackBerry provides that is missing on other phones.

Physical Keyboard

This is the big one. I've tried all of the touchscreen keyboards out there - nothing comes close to the physical click of keys.

I'm aware of a few Androids which have a keyboard - but they tend to be older models or underpowered and aimed at the teenage text market.
The Dell WP7 phone has a keyboard, but appears to have been abandoned by Dell.

Start up speed.

You never really switch a BB off, it just sleeps. That gives it a phenomenal start-up speed. When you shut it down, it also tells you when it's planning to wake up - either due to an alarm, calendar, or because you set an "auto on" timer.

WP7 does have a very fast boot time - much speedier than that of Android. But there's no auto-on / auto-off feature.

Deep Twitter Integration

I can't believe no other phone has this. If I receive an email which contains a hashtag or @name, I can click on it and my Twitter client opens up. Same in calendar, documents, and (ISTR) web pages. Even if the text isn't linked it was clickable.

Spell Cheque & Auto Text

Spell checking is available on WP7 - but not to the same degree as BlackBerry. The auto-text feature on BB is brilliant, I can type a short code and text is automatically filled.

  • dt - prints the current time & date, perfect for note taking
  • sig - prints my standard contact details
  • ht - (one I created) prints the hashtag of the event I'm following

Android

Android is my main device. It's not without its deficiencies - but here are the bits I wish others would copy.

Time of Day Email

Perhaps the best feature of the Samsung Galaxy S - and not something I've seen elsewhere. I can set a peak and off-peak schedule for my work email.

At 1800 during the week I stop getting work email - and it all comes through at 0800 the next morning. During the weekend, I get no work email. This is one of the major features which keeps me on Android.

FLAC and OGG

I've ripped all my CDs to FLAC. I hate the fact that I have to transcode all my music in order to listen to it on a portable device. All the high end Android phones I've tried play FLAC natively.

Open

I like the fact that I'm not tied down by the operating system. If I want to replace the lock screen, the email client, the web browser, I can. And I do.

If the device manufacturer abandons my phone, there's a huge hacker community who can keep it running.

WP7

I've not had the greatest success with a Windows Phone - but there are some elements that I love.

Interface

The Metro Interface is amazing. It's fast and fluid and generally really well laid out.

Camera

I found the camera to be very responsive - both at focussing and snapping. The integrated QR scanner was also a cut above the rest.

iOS

Media hype / Coolness

It's a little depressing that all the media and developer attention is focussed on a minority platform like iPhone. Just for once, I'd like a cool game like Whale Trail to come out first on something other than iOS.

Misc

  • Lanyard hook. Ever since smashing my BlackBerry, I've worn a lanyard strap.
  • Front facing camera. I'm the only one I know who likes video calling.
  • Trackpad. Even the best touch screen can't get the fine grained accuracy of a touch pad.
  • Removable storage. I like being able to choose how much I carry with me.
  • Mass storage. I'm not always at a computer where I can install "media transfer" software. I just want to be able to plug in a USB lead and copy what I need.
  • Call recording. Must admit - never had a phone that can easily do this. Always wanted it though!
  • Removable battery. When the going gets tough, I don't want to have to be chained to a wall-wart. The ability to buy higher capacity batteries is also handy.

What Hath Thou Wrought?

Essentially, I've created Homer's Car - a monstrosity no one other than me could love.

So, tell me what would be in your perfect phone?