Usability Forum

Follow-Up: Swapping the screen & interface on handhelds

By Eddie Lopez. Monday, 5. February 2007, 15:41:38

UI, usabilty, cellphone, Follow Up, input device

Here's a website called "Today's New Ideas" that is posting a patent document that basically swaps the keypad/interface and the display. This is a follow-up post because this is the exact same reasoning I brought up in regards to my iPod, except the subject of this link is a mobile phone. I still am surprised this isn't more common.

I will say that another added advantage of this configuration, apart from a more comfortable grip is the opportunity for less facial oils (and/or makeup or whatever) getting on the screen. The buttons would be closest to touching your ear and cheek. Try it! Flip your phone around. Also test how hard you'd have to push your phone against your ear to accidently press any buttons- on my phone it's difficult to do.

(via Usability in the News)

Links: Contemporary takes on everyday things and an interesting interface projectUser Centered is more than just a slick UI

Comments

dantesoft # 5. February 2007, 15:53

There's no way to see what I'm doing: my thumb is all over the screen..
But if I had the joystick and soft-keys on the (lower left and right, respectively) sides of the phone.. then we'd be on to something.

Ear-dialing is comfortably hard to do here, too.

Eddie_Lopez # 5. February 2007, 19:48

I think the illustration here is a bit of an exaggeration, but when I hold my phone naturally, my thumb/palm only covers a very small portion of the screen to where it's not too unlike the picture here.

But it does seem a bit unnatural, I admit.

Anonymous # 6. February 2007, 17:53

Lief writes:

I don't think it is unnatural at all, rather the reverse.
I even have a flip phone that would work great if I was texting a lot.
Straight phones would work just as well, and a specially designed device could maximize usability.

I think it feels un-natural in the way that putting the freezer on the bottom of a refrigerator feels unnatural to some. It was only placed above originally because the cold air from the ice in the ice-box "fell" and kept the rest of the unit merely cool. With the invention of machine refrigeration it should have been natural to put the most used section of the unit in primary position but it took YEARS to break down the unnatural feel.

So here, we are used to having a keyboard below and a screen above. But with wireless devices such as phones, where real-estate, alignment, and usability considerations are critical, it is arguably more natural (not less) to put the "most used" or functioning part in the most comfortable location.

Two-thumb texting would even serve to shield the screen from glare/bright light (who hasn't fought that problem?) like the cowl on monitors. Imagine, enhancing the use of the device with the way our body is 'typically' designed.

Eddie_Lopez # 6. February 2007, 18:17

Lief-

Good points! "unnatural" would be too harsh a word.. especially in light of my post on iPods. Your right, I think "strange" or "foreign" was what I was looking for. But you're absolutely right, and I like the thumbs acting as a shield for your texting.

borg # 8. April 2007, 12:28

This is the logic behind the Serene from Samsung/B&O

http://www.bang-olufsen.com/page.asp?id=54

Really nice phone, would probably buy one if it could run Opera Mini....