My ideal phone
July 11, 2007You start with the Nokia 8800 (my phone). The best phone design ever, no question about it. Stainless steel, built like a rock, elegant, beautiful, small but not flimsy, and a good, heavy feel to it. A decent ‘clunk’ when sliding the phone open. A luxury feel. There’s little you need to change about the design.
Obviously a slider, I detest any other phone design. Every candybar phone I’ve ever had had its keypad fail. Clamshell phones are clumsy, and let’s not even start about ’swivel’ phones (whoever came up with that nonsense ought to be shot). Touch screen phones like the iPhone and LG Prada are even worse - no tactile feedback, smudges on the screen, no blind operation, awful. Just… Awful. Usability nightmare (for me).
Strip the phone’s functionality. Phone calls and text messaging functionality is all I need (and be honest, how many of you have used all that crap on a structural basis, other than you, Eugenia ;) ). All the other stuff is useless crap that only bog the device down and get in the way. Camera, video, ‘internet’, MMS, email, they all need to go. If you rip all that pointlessness out of the phone, then the only reason I see for having Bluetooth would be transferring contacts and ringtones - and since that can be done just as easily by a cable, Bluetooth can go too. This would void the need for unusable 3x3 menu structures, softkeys, and weird icons. Every ‘feature’ of the phone would be geared for either calling, or text messaging.
On the outside of the phone, all you need is an on/off button, and a slider button to switch between silent and non-silent operation. A mini-USB port for the data/charge cables, and that’s it. You could replace the energy-draining TFT screen with a more efficient and more elegant OLED screen. I’m not sure where the technology on OLED displays stands, but antialiasing wouldn’t hurt (currently, the 8800 lacks that anyway).
That would be my ideal phone.
World | 
Problem is, that the next big revolution (which has already started), is computing mobility. Which means, that you won’t find what you are looking for. Especially with a luxurious hardware design with crippled software.
Comment by Eugenia — July 11, 2007 @ 8:57 pm
A month ago I would have completely agreed with this post. Lately, however, I’ve started using my phone’s camera to capture things like phone numbers, opening hours and other things which would take more than a few seconds to write down. I find it quite practical - my only worry is scalability of the UI once the “photo-notes” accumulate. So my ideal phone would probably include a very streamlined UI for taking, browsing and erasing pictures.
@Eugenia: products like the Motofone still explore the simplification trend - I actually tried to buy it recently but it could only be purchased with a monthly plan :-(
Comment by jh — July 12, 2007 @ 1:35 pm
I fully disagree. Bluetooth is most useful for a quality headset (I do backup my contacts, but that could be done over USB too), which you didn’t mention. And although I never thought I’d say this, having a 2mp+ camera on your hip at all times is actually tremendously useful. I’ve used mine *many* times when I didn’t ever think to bring a camera, and I’m glad to have it. Text messaging/mobile IM are the next generation instant communication - by saying they have to go, you’re starting to sound like an old curmugeon! :)
Comment by Adam — July 12, 2007 @ 6:35 pm
>products like the Motofone still explore the simplification trend
Yes, but not with a luxurious design as Thom wants it. :D
The motofone was mostly created for the African market btw.
Comment by Eugenia — July 12, 2007 @ 7:03 pm