I just came across this really sexy and sleek Qisda mobile that would launch sometime soon. On the specs front, this promises 1280×768 resolution on a 4? touchscreen. Thats even higher than the 854×480 we saw on the Motorola Droid. And I am just wondering if we are ready for this?
Over the past 2 years, the smartphone market has grown beyond belief. From a point, where we used to talk about a camera in a phone as a giant leap, we have moved on to OLED displays (AMOLED aswell), operating systems smart enough to be ported on netbooks, cameras that are killing the basic digicams and now the 1.5GHz processor (heck my first P4 PC was less powerful than that). Going hands on with the Acer Liquid last week was one of those moments when I couldn’t stop appreciating the progress mobile technology has made – full HD video in your palm! While its true that we would see ourselves do some real high performance computing on the mobile and a major chunk of our work would be doable on the mobile, (in many ways, it already is!) – I am pushed back by the idea of mobile technology growing so fast or rather in the manner we are thinking of these mobiles.
Some basic fundamental queries in my mind remain unanswered even after reading a whole lot of thoughts from across the globe on this subject. Do we need mobiles that can replace our desktops / notebooks? Would you ever keep a smartphone on your desk and work all day at your office?
You may call me old fashioned, but I still use a desktop for all my computing. Its just that I enjoy the large screen and king size keyboard on my desktop setup. Coming back to the smartphone race, I have used an iPhone and an increasing number of blog posts on OnlyGizmos are now typed out on my iPhone while I am traveling. But the point to note is that I don’t really go about using WordPress or any other CMS on the iPhone – I use the good old Notes (the iPhone Notepad). These articles are then emailed across and finally published on OnlyGizmos by an editor on the desktop / notebook. The point I am trying to make here is, IMO its not that we want the mobile to do all our work; but just compliment the existing system to the fullest and at the same time be what is meant to be – a mobile computer. Stepping out of a press conference, there are often thoughts that I would like to pen down immediately, that’s where the iPhone comes in; but when I really want to edit the images and publish the article – I need a bigger setup.
I read a piece by Michael Gartenberg last week which really made sense to me, we don’t want the mobile to display what you see on your PC – instead the same content in a form that appeals much more on a mobile and can be accessed in a much more practical manner on a 3-5? screen.
The way we interact with a mobile and a PC is way different. Newer OSes have multitouch enabled, but do you see yourself stretching your hands to the PC monitor and make multitouch gestures? You bet we won’t do that for the 10 hour computing many of us do all day long. The simple fact that the way we interact with mobiles and the technology they use is different. This demands a different method in which content is fed to the mobile. Thats where I feel Steve Jobs made the biggest victory – the iPhone was not a shrinked computer, not a high spec handheld – but something that had a revolutionary UI. In the years that followed with the iPhone OS 2.0 (App store) and the OS v3.0 (spotlight etc), what was worked upon the most was the software, not the hardware. And thats why the iPhone 3GS is still rated above a lot of other smartphones offering bigger screens, faster processors and much better cameras. Apple has proven it already that what sells is the idea behind the handheld and not just bloated spec sheets.
A good use of smartphones that I am yet to see is compatibility with old technology. My 2 year old laser printer still works perfect, but I often feel the need to print an image or document from my mobile. Similarly, something that I would love to see in the future (and its not too distant) is smartphones replacing your computer cabinets. Just plugin your smartphone to the monitor and start using it with a keyboard and mouse as a computer. Like something, you can do with the iPad.
Yes someday we might well have a 1280×1-1024 or ever 1360×768 mobile (with an integrated projector and stereo sound) & you might well find myself using it – but it wouldn’t be something that gives the same interface / experience as my PC does. It has to be different … evolved!
