Phone Interfaces Start To Get Some Attention
Mobile phones tend to grab most attention based on their looks, with one crucial element — the user interface — often given a much lower priority by manufacturers. But this is starting to change, particularly when it comes to accessing the Internet. Wireless Watch points to Motorola’s new Java/Linux UI that’s designed from the ground up with the functionality of modern mobiles in mind and promises to match the looks of the RAZR with a similarly slick interface. Moto, along with Nokia is also trying to make the Internet experience easier: its new UI will feature SCREEN3 (are all their caps lock keys broken or what?), a program that delivers updated news and information to a handset’s idle screen. while Nokia last week launched a search application that draws information from Yahoo and local search engines into a single interface. A phone’s looks might attract buyers, but it’s the interface that will keep them, so it’s high time handset insides got the same attention as their outsides.
