“It’s changed the way we talk to each other. It’s turned us into multi-taskers. It’s taught us how to text. It’s revolutionized our jobs by allowing us to work on the move. It’s democratized the news media by enabling passers-by to photograph extraordinary events. It’s given us access to the Internet, e-mail, music, social networks, a camera, clock, diary and phone – all in one tiny box,” Alice Rawsthorn writes for The International Herald Tribune.
Rawsthorn writes, “No object has had as dramatic an impact on our lives in the past decade as the cellphone. Only the computer comes close. But more of us use a cellphone, and our relationship with it is more intimate. The cellphone is one of the handful of personal objects – like a watch – that we take with us almost everywhere.”
“So why are they so badly designed? And we’re not talking about dodgy network service here, but the phones themselves,” Rawsthorn writes. “Perhaps you don’t think there’s a problem. If you’re gazing lovingly at your cellphone, marveling at how simple it is to use, how pleasing to look at and to touch, then, of course, you’ll consider it to be well designed. Though I’ve yet to meet anyone who agrees with you. Few questions are more likely to elicit groans and complaints than asking people what they think of their cellphones.”
Rawsthorn writes, “In fairness to cellphone makers, it is exceptionally difficult to design anything really well, especially a technically complex product that is manufactured in huge quantities. A well-designed object, like the Apple iPod, looks so effortless and can be used so intuitively, that it’s easy to underestimate the Herculean struggle required to produce it. There are many obstacles to great design. Inventing new materials. Predicting how the product will be used. Turf wars between designers, sales representatives and engineers. It takes a massive effort of corporate will – and the support of a visionary leader, like Apple’s Steve Jobs – to overcome them.”
“All this could change if a dynamic new player entered the market, and the likeliest contender to do so is Apple. It’s an open secret that Apple has been considering plans to launch a cellphone. Let’s call it the iPhone. Ever protective of its brand, Apple is unlikely to introduce the iPhone until it is convinced that it has the best possible product, which would involve rethinking everything about the cellphone and how it works, including the role of the networks,” Rawsthorn writes. “It is in a powerful position to do so. The iPod proved how successful Apple’s design values could be in a new product sector. Could a cellular network risk missing out on telecom’s answer to the iPod? And a well-designed iPhone might force the established cellphone makers to raise their design game, too.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Eli” for the heads up.]
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Can you produce me now?
im waiting for it…
blablabla
We’ll see what it is when it’s introduced.
If Apple had NOT been on-track to develop a cell phone, all these constant iPhone articles would certainly have been enough for Apple to say, “Well, they seem to want one. Why don’t we try it?”
I hope there’s a PDA in it.
some phones are nice to hold with smooth lines and curves, but the os-es in them suck. i wonder what the os would be like on the iphone
Sony Ericsson makes well-designed phones
Hey, Rawsthorn-
Good Call!
The new Blackberry Pearl from T-Mobile is the best designed phone I’ve ever used. Well, it can render HTML email for some idiotic reason, but that’s a software problem.
An iPhone? It had better be unlocked for all GSM providers, run EDGE and UMTS, have an innovative and easy-to-use texting system, long battery life, good sound for those of us who can’t hear, and pick up leggy blondes.
I hate my cellphone and my wife hates her treo. The software is awful but at least you can….gasp….make a phone call with them. If Apple makes the iPhone and makes a SIMPLE userface that will enter and store phone numbers, pictures and with flash memory to play tunes, people won’t care about getting a new phone to renew their contract. They will happily purchase it. I would but two.
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Oh yes, and make it easy to transfer data back and forth between your Mac and the phone
I agree…
My phone has soo many features – foir the longest time I couldn’t figure out how to get it to stop talking at me.
I bought a cell phone about 5 years ago and hated it. Haven’t had one since. Resisted all friends bitching “why don’t you have a cell phone!?” Swore I woudn’t get another until Apple came out with one.
My dreams may come true–FINALLY!
My holdout was worth it.
MDN Magic word: KIND as in Apple will make the best kind of Cell Phone in the world!
To Simply, You may say Sony Erricson makes goos ones. Heck I have a Moto I like. But that only pertains to the build.
There does not exist a good cell phone when it comes to software. They are all in some way or another inadequate in the software.
Its either the contact/addressbook and finding your Aunt Bertha’s #. Or it is the way the buttons act during a call. On every phone I have ever used (many) there was at least one, if not many, things where I would say, “That is stupid.”
This article is right on, and it is also late to the game. We have all known this.
If there was a complany that I think could get it right…its Apple. But remember this, Don’t get your hopes up for iPhone ver. 1 to blow your doors off on day 1. We all remember the iPod, the original one, with the actual spinning scroll wheel, dont we?
Where is that damn phone. I need it NOW! Not tommorrow or next week
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Apple is going to kick seriously Motorola´s a$$. Nokia is a little a little bigger cookie to eat.
To Crackberry Addict,
All of the above except for leggy brunnettes instead…..
I had a cell phone once.
I have to agree with Simply, my k750i is flawless, and it works so well with OS X, iSync, Bluetooth, Salling Clicker…
…however if Apple release a good one (not some crappy Motorola thing) I’ll be first in line!
Yes please Apple give me a phone that doesn’t get me stuck in endless interface loops when trying to do something as simple as store a photo.
i still use the old 6310i after buying 4 other hot cell phones wich are just crap, every day i hope the nokia 6310i does not fall apart, the best phone they ever made, but the worst marketing move, ppl who got the 6310i did not bought a new one in long time….
This is a 1 billion unit a year market! And what is lacking, a sane user friendly and easy to use interface, is at the very core of Apple’s skill set. I need a bib to stop my mouth from druelling at the prospect of Apple iPhones. This will be a huge market for Apple. My AAPL shares are having anticipatory orgasms.
In 2000, my company finally let me go from a trunk mount to a portable, and I got the Nokia 8260 from ATT. Best phone I ever had, for then. Two years later, when ATT was falling apart waiting for Cingular to buy, I switched to Alltel, and every phone since then has been worse than the one before. Was gonna go back to Cingular to get the Nokia 6682, but have been holding out for 9 months to see what Apple does.
Been limping along with a semi broken Verison cellphone with a barely working 7 key hoping that Apple would come out with a phone.. I could replace my phone but I figure why bother when I’ll probly be dumping Verison and switching carriers when Apple releases their phone.
Guess maybe drinking too much coolaid, but frankly I agree with this article cell phone interface and design is horrible.. the one thing I like that has been added in the past few years is the “Send key” on my phone opens up a menu of recent incoming and outgoing calls.. but the rest of the phone interface is terrible.
JMHO. Its monday after all.
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Cell phones are an example of items designed for public mass consumption – oh yes, and lots of profit too.
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Mine drops calls all the time. (it is only a phone no camera, music player, etc) Sure its small, but I could use one that had a better tower connection. Make it bigger, more battery power and a better PHONE!!!!. I would like to use it as a phone.
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I just do not think Steve / Apple will try to produce a better cell phone. Not an apple product. They may use EXISTING cellphone technology and add to it, but I do not think they will try to create better phones.
JMHO.
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N.
You know it’s bad when my phone has an address book function but can only store phone numbers but no address.
Yep, it’s the Razr. I’m on my third and now the earpiece does not work. I can only use the speakerphone.
I hate hoping for vaporware to arrive but here’s hoping.
My shares too, LinuxGuy…mine too…
=]
My 4 year motorola is fine. I only make phone calls with it, and store phone numbers on it. I wonder if Apple can convince me to do more with a cell phone.