“We all know that in the technology world, the hype about new products often doesn’t match reality,” David Haskin reports for Computerworld. “So it’s fair to ask: Is the iPhone as good as its hype? In particular, does iPhone’s much-discussed touch-screen interface really make using the device simpler and more intuitive?”
“Everybody will have an opinion, but what’s need is something more objective and definitive. So an expert in the field — Perceptive Sciences, an Austin, Texas-based usability consulting firm — was asked to examine and compare the iPhone and two competitors [HTC Touch and the Nokia N95],” Haskin reports.
Haskin reports, “The results of its tests were unequivocal: While the iPhone is not the most feature-rich device, this group of experts found that when it comes to usability, iPhone does, indeed, live up to its hype.”
“In terms of usability, iPhone blew away its two competitors. Its overall score in the usability tests was 4.6 out of 5. The HTC Touch was a distant second at 3.4, and the Nokia N95 scored 3.2,” Haskin reports.
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “john” for the heads up.]
The findings are rather obvious to anyone who’s ever used the iPhone and tried to use or seen people try to use the others. For others, it’s helpful to cut through the FUD. Here’s a video comparison:
Apple’s iPhone:
HTC Touch:
The User experience of the HTC phone sucks compared the the iPhone.
Just spending 10 seconds looking at those 2 videos shows that.
No competition.
And dont think about copyin the iPhone ui and interface – its patented up to the eye balls.
re: As a Mac fan I must say yes. However the competition REALLY sucks for right now.
I’m seeing some brand new products that are in prototype stage that combine 3D GPS, 3G phone, camera, music, photos, video and a full fledged operating system with a REAL processor all on a device slightly larger than a iPhone with a similar touch interface.
You can toss your laptop, phone, gps and camera right in the trash, this thing will do it ALL!!
Lets say this, if Apple doesn’t come out with something that totally tops the iPhone come January, they are going to be left in the dust by this new device come March 2008.
I’m not kidding. Oh they also need to improve quality control too.
Because the same folks making the new toys I’ve mentioned are the ones behind the defective iPod Touch, iPhone and Fatty screens.
They are setting up Apple to fail.
—-
THIS PRODUCT WILL FAIL.
Apple has proved with the iphone that you dont need a million apps and all the fancy crap to make a industry transforming device.
This ‘so called’ iphone kiler your talking about is useless.
If I wanna edit video etc I use a laptop with usable sized screen NOT a phone.
For me Apple has made the best phone ever, its does the one thing that all other phones cannot do simply – and that is make phoen calls.
Like Steve Jobs said, “the killer app ion a mobile phone is making calls” – and the iphone does that better than any other phone out there.
Your average person dont give a damn about 3D, GPS etc – all they want to do is use a phone that is damn easy to use to make calls.
Apple’s culture of ‘less is more’ is their secret to success.
If only all other phone makers realised this.
The fact that the iPhone is the only true mobile that syncs with a computer at the OS LEVEL is something no other phone manufacturer will EVER be able to do.
Like I said earlier – the iphone is the best phone out there and Apple are already working on version 2 and version 3, thats what SJ said at the O2 launch.
And you can bet that version 2 is already ready for mass production – its just waiting for SJ to say ok lets start production.
Apple will release a whole suite of iphones with differing price points and features, just like the ipod and the price will fall.
I cant wait to my iphone in November – its the phone I have been waiting for for the last 10 years.
The Nokia phone has a built in bar code reader. Why the f*** would I want a bar code reader in my phone. The competition just doesn’t get it.
@crickets
crunch….
@joeknows: i believe the reason for the Nokia to have a barcode is because the people in Japan use it as a credit card. Basically, u use ur phone like a credit card and i believe there is a video of it in youtube. It shows a man with the N95 scanning it in the subway to get access and also using it in a kiosk to buy things. so yea the barcode is definitely not meant for the US market but the Japanese. The code is not activated for the US phones i believe.
back to topic, the article has a legitimate analysis of the iphone and that is what most people are looking for when they get reviews of a product.
iphone has definitely raised the bar for the competition and i believe that is a good thing since we must progress into better and better things. touch has been around for a while but its Apple that has made it mainstream and it will continue to do so with newer and newer products and before u know it, keys on a phone will be obsolete.
@ Macfanatic: there will definitely be better phones coming out from various manufacturers but it all comes down to the software that powers the phone. If it is not as simple as an iphone to use, u can be assured it will be DOA
here u go, the link to the phones in Japan having barcodes
Hey Haskin, I put my iPhone into the hands of my Chimpanzee and a Blackberrry into the hands of my neighbor’s kids and my Chimpanzee was able to email my neighbor’s kids within 3 minutes and send their computer a picture of their dog that he was eating. And, the funniest thing is that they couldn’t even call 911 to complain. Proof positive about the usability. We don’t need no stinking studies. We have practical experience. Now I can’t get the Chimp to let loose of the iPhone. The single biggest problem I now face. At least he only is holding a 4Gig phone. I’ll let him keep it.
This back and forth is so silly. The iPhone might be easy to use, but that doesn’t mean everyone would love to have one. There are very specific features that I *must* have and the iPhone just doesn’t have them.