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Nokia's upper management quickly reverses its thoughts on optical and touch sensitive interfaces for mobile devices

Last week Nokia gave a vote of no confidence to the use of touchscreen technology in mobile phones. In an interview with Swedish newspaper, E24.SE, Nokia's General Manager of Mobile Devices, Antti Vasara, simply said that users prefer keyboards and joysticks over touchscreen displays and that Nokia is not enthusiastic about touch screens. Despite this, he did say that if Nokia sees the demand for touch screens, the company would use them in mobile devices.

A week later it seems that Nokia has seen the demand for touchscreen technology in mobile phones. Tero Ojanpera, Chief Technology Officer of Nokia, yesterday said, "Optical sensors and touch will be the next big things." His statement is a 180 degree turn from what Vasara said last week.

Ojanpera lauded touch screens, claiming the technology would allow cell phone makers to hide keypads. In addition, he said that movement sensors would also bring new and unheard of features to mobile phones.  Ojanpera believes there will be a large amount of innovation between these two technologies.  

HTC, LG and Apple all embraced touch screen technology.  Dell and Hewlett-Packard pushed touch-sensitive displays for almost a decade on some devices.

Nokia, one of the few companies that refused to offer a Windows Mobile phone, might face its sudden interface problem alone.  Over the last year, Microsoft unveiled optical and touch sensitive technology at a brisk pace with platforms like Surface, Deepfish and HTC's TouchFLO.  Yet with Nokia's strong support for Symbian on its existing devices, the likelihood that Microsoft's sensing technologies will ever appear on a Nokia device is rapidly diminishing.

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Touch
By Hare on 6/21/2007 10:54:30 AM , Rating: 4
The problem with touch screens is the lack of tactile feedback. Try typing a message when you are walking down a busy street or driving. With a normal keypad you can pretty much type without even looking at the device. There are gimmicks like using the vibra to mimick key presses but that doesn't help much since "feeling" the keys is required to type efficiently.

We need to wait for a while for phone makers to develope touch surfaces that offer mechanical feedback.




RE: Touch
By James Holden on 6/21/2007 10:56:11 AM , Rating: 2
I agree - haptic interfaces would totally take the cake for me.


RE: Touch
By Hare on 6/21/2007 11:49:45 AM , Rating: 3
I'm curious. Why did I get rated down? Did I offend someone or what? This is ridiculous. I thought I just pointed something out? Not that I care about my rating but sometimes this just puzzles me. Are people in a bad mood and randomly vote others down or what?


RE: Touch
By KristopherKubicki (blog) on 6/21/2007 12:03:01 PM , Rating: 2
Over the course of a week, the average post gets rated about 15-20 times -- usually just back and forth from 1 to 3. While I don't know why some people vote the way they do, there is a little bit of background noise. Some of that is just people hitting the wrong button or whatever.

DT staff are instructed to rate up as much as possible, so if you have a good post don't worry, it will get rated up there :)


RE: Touch
By TomZ on 6/21/2007 12:29:17 PM , Rating: 5
I say don't sweat the ratings - just carry on and say what's on your mind. Let the high school girls and politicians worry about being popular.


RE: Touch
By therealnickdanger on 6/21/2007 2:46:06 PM , Rating: 1
liek omg, taht iz sooooo troo!
+1,000,000

Seriously though, I did rate you up (but I ruined it by posting). It's always nice to see your own post get rated up, but I do see a LOT of posts with no slant or bias that get the big red -1 and it confuses me and my simple brain.

The truth is rarely popular.


RE: Touch
By semo on 6/21/2007 2:42:54 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Try typing a message when you are walking down a busy street or driving
no i won't. i find it an unnecessary distraction at best.

i rated you down because i used to fear drivers on mobile phones the most when i worked as a traffic facilitator. if i disagree or don't like a writers' views, i rate them down.

i also rate down "why did i get rated down" posts too, but since you asked nicely...


RE: Touch
By Hare on 6/21/2007 3:29:48 PM , Rating: 2
Thanks for the clarification. I honestly appreciate it. English is not my native tongue and I know I've sometimes said things that didn't come out the way they were supposed to.

I agree that mobiles should be kept away when driving (I actually have a bluetooth handsfree and stop if I have to write an email etc.) As I said in another reply, the example was a bit poor. My point about the tactile feedback was that I can write an SMS walking down the street without even looking at the device. It's not really a distraction (any more than chewing bubblegum) but the same can not be said about touchscreens. You need to actually keep your eyes on the display and it can be a hazard.


RE: Touch
By InsaneGain on 6/21/2007 4:59:13 PM , Rating: 2
If it takes you as much thought and concentration to chew bubblegum as it does to create a text message then obviously you are thinking too much about how you are chewing your bubblegum.


RE: Touch
By Polynikes on 6/22/2007 1:16:00 PM , Rating: 2
Wow, what a nice guy. Let the ratings beatdown begin.


RE: Touch
By xsilver on 6/21/2007 11:53:09 PM , Rating: 2
Is it still legal to drive while on the cell phone or sms in the USA?

the number of people I've seen swerving in and out of lanes with only 1 hand on the wheel and the other on the cell phone is astounding.
and in australia here, its already illegal but everyone still does it.

not many people are co-ordinated enough to sms while not looking at the screen so I think you're in the minority.
I would never sms while driving even though I can; its just not safe.


RE: Touch
By eyebeeemmpawn on 6/21/2007 11:51:51 AM , Rating: 4
Do everyone else on the road a favor and just don't text while driving. Try using a little common sense! Its all fun and games until you rear-end someone at a stop light/sign. With my luck it will be me on my motorcycle; I'll either be dead or beating your face in with my mangled helmet if I figure out that I became your hood ornament because you couldn't wait to get that text out.

Let's try not to let our technology evolve faster than our tiny little brains.

...and I know, I know, you're really careful when you do it and you're an excellent driver...thats what everyone says.


RE: Touch
By Hare on 6/21/2007 12:16:54 PM , Rating: 2
It was a bad example. Feel free to substitute "driving" with something else.

If it's any comfort to you, I live in Finland so the odds of me hitting you are pretty slim ;)


RE: Touch
By KristopherKubicki (blog) on 6/21/2007 1:13:25 PM , Rating: 2
In NYC and Chicago, there's a very high incident rate of people who walk into trains and buses while flipping through on their PDA.

I've been in the same position myself sometimes -- checking email and then all the sudden I'm about 6 blocks down the street.


RE: Touch
By TomZ on 6/21/2007 2:30:52 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
In NYC and Chicago, there's a very high incident rate of people who walk into trains and buses while flipping through on their PDA.

I believe that would be a form of "survival of the fittest." Walking into traffic because of being distracted by PDA/cell phone is hardly what I would call an "accident."


RE: Touch
By augiem on 6/21/2007 12:00:36 PM , Rating: 3
Actually, phone companies aren't going to develop anything. ALL these technologies are licensed from R&D engineering companies. NDAs prevent us from knowing who developed what, but not even overglorified "innovators" like apple don't even create their own technologies.

Just hate to see the wrong people always getting the credit. :P


RE: Touch
By TomZ on 6/21/2007 1:07:19 PM , Rating: 2
I think what you're saying is largely true, with some caveats. Apple may be buying components and licensing technology from its vendors, but it appears they are layering a bit of innovation on top of that, e.g., the gestures supported in the iPhone.

On the other hand, the vendors of the components and IP do get credit - they get to sell more of their product. Having design wins like Apple products drive a lot of marketing value. Just check out the web sites of such companies - you'll see they make a big deal about the well-known devices using their products.

For example, check out the design wins that QProx has on their site (http://www.qprox.com/). I just use them as an example since our products use their stuff.


RE: Touch
By jithvk on 6/22/2007 3:09:27 AM , Rating: 2
i also agree with this. i am working in an R&D company and our company has developed many things for many "innovators". Most of the time, it is those companies who contact us. They wants us to research and develop their ideas into a product and they will pay us for the same. Its because of the same reason that they wants us to sign an NDA so that the product will remain as a secret untill the product is released.


RE: Touch
By masher2 (blog) on 6/21/2007 12:46:27 PM , Rating: 2
I agree that tactile feedback is important, but a smart phone that had a (tactile-feedback) keypad for making calls, but was also able to protect a full-size optical-sensed keyboard for emails and browsing, would be a big win with me.


RE: Touch
By spluurfg on 6/22/2007 5:07:32 AM , Rating: 2
The technology exists and is slated to be used on a future Samsung touchscreen smartphone.

http://www.samsung.com/PressCenter/PressRelease/Pr...


RE: Touch
By Hare on 6/22/2007 5:27:24 AM , Rating: 2
I meant that you could actually feel the key going down and up and feeling the button borders. I've used a device with a flat touchscreen and vibra as an indicator and it was ok but the usability wasn't even close to a real keyboard.


RE: Touch
By spluurfg on 6/22/2007 11:09:36 AM , Rating: 2
Fair enough. I guess the ideal would be a matrix of true mechanical buttons either each with their own display, or a flexible panel overlay. Or perhaps if the button locations remained the same on the display (though their function might change) and there was some sort of embossing at their locations so we could type without looking (think 'F' and 'J' on qwerty). This, combined with tactile feedback would help a lot.


By crystal clear on 6/22/2007 7:19:20 AM , Rating: 2
1) All are commenting on technologies that are the most interesting on paper but could be disappointing in reality :
Your comments are based on press releases & material put out by these manufacturers.

2)As a first-generation product, the iPhone & other similar cell phones could have bugs in any of a number of areas, such as the touch screen, which is unique for such a device; battery life; call quality; and software stability.

3)To make things more complex(iPhone in this case) add to it a music player, a video player, a Web browser, and, Oh yeah, a phone -- means that there's simply a lot more room for problems.

4)Add to this security-
A basic principle of software security is that the larger the code base you're trying to secure, the harder it is to secure and the more likely you'll find vulnerabilities in the code."

5)You pay these companies to learn from you instead of the opposite.

6) I prefer to learn from the buyers/user(experiences) of these phones,rather than be one of them.

To summarise it all,I would say CAUTION ! WAIT & SEE ! & dont believe all what you are told by them(companies).




By crystal clear on 6/22/2007 7:51:16 AM , Rating: 2
Have you considered the defect rate of these phones like people are complaining about the Xbox(example).

These phones have "Rechargeable Lithium-based technology" batteries.

Will there be an over heating issue like in laptops(example).

Will these phones withstand the rough handling/wear & tare of daily use.

All these questions & more will be answered only from hardcore experiences of the users.

Would you pay($600 example) to be one of them ?


By Hare on 6/22/2007 8:33:41 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
These phones have "Rechargeable Lithium-based technology" batteries.

Mobiles have had li-ion batteries almost 10 years. No problems there.

quote:
Will these phones withstand the rough handling/wear & tare of daily use.
It's a smartphone. Don't throw it around. Phones are tested to withstand drops from certain heights etc. Just like your laptop. If you have a sophisticated device you can't drive over it with a car and expect it to be ok. If you have special requirements you can always get a toshiba toughbook and a Nokia 5140.


By crystal clear on 6/23/2007 1:57:20 AM , Rating: 2
You pay these companies to learn from you instead of the opposite.

Would you pay($600 example) to be one of them ?


By crystal clear on 6/24/2007 9:40:55 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
It's a smartphone. Don't throw it around.


“Go out and buy an iPod and hold it at waist level and drop it. That’s the end of the iPod.”

Very soon I will quote the same remark with iPhone & iPod included


My €0.02
By ethana2 on 6/22/2007 3:54:32 AM , Rating: 2
Touch screens, in my opinion, have a lot of potential on laptops and desktops- but I don't know about cell phones...

On a desktop, a touch screen could be used as a keyboard. The tactile feedback problem could be eliminated by an audible click and the fact that it's only 10° away from the window as far as viewing angle goes. I want one of those...

As for cells, well- this is going to sound utterly ridiculous, but I fully intend to carry a laptop around on me at all times on my back. With skype, a bluetooth headset, and wifi availability getting better every day... why not?




RE: My €0.02
By Hare on 6/22/2007 5:13:29 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
why not?
I also have a laptop (and a desktop) but I really like my E61i. It takes 2 seconds to take it out of my pocket and see if I have any new emails or check out a website, calendar etc. I have actually left my laptop more often at the office since my mobile is able to do most of the things while on the road.
quote:
The tactile feedback problem could be eliminated by an audible click
Audible clicks are annoying and only solve a part of the problem. The other problem is that you can't feel the keys so there's no way you could type without looking at the keyboard. Think about it for a while. What does it feel like typing on a solid surface. I personally don't like it at all. Another problems


RE: My €0.02
By Hare on 6/22/2007 5:24:29 AM , Rating: 2
... Another problem is that the screen is always smudged if it's used with fingers.


One hand and another
By darkpaw on 6/21/2007 12:32:09 PM , Rating: 2
This just sounds like two parts of the same company not necessarily knowing what the other is up too. Pretty common in a lot of large companies a I think. A management officer makes a negative comment about touch screen technology, which is quickly changed by a technology officer that probably has a better grasp of what R&D is working on.

Just seems like the first guy didn't quite know what other parts of the company were up to.




RE: One hand and another
By Hare on 6/21/2007 2:38:18 PM , Rating: 2
That's funny. Nokia yesterday actually announced a new organization structure. Nowadays Nokia has had separate business groups for enterprise phones, multimedia phones, basic phones etc. These will become a single big business unit.

Press release:
http://www.nokia.com/A4136001?newsid=1134322


Real Story
By TomZ on 6/21/2007 12:42:10 PM , Rating: 2
The real story with touch is that it is technology that has been around and readily available for many years, but people thinking about ergonomics and product design have largely shunned this technology for the reasons brought up by several other posters here.

Then enter a "chic, cool" player like Apple who brings touch into the mass market, using their marketing to convince customers that it is a great, new, innovative technology. All of a sudden, this enables other device makers to use touch, because after all, if Apple can convince customers that form is more important than function, then the same could be applied to their product.

Touch is great from a product designer's standpoint. It is cheap, reliable, and it makes the product easier to design and manufacture. The main drawback is the ergonomic problems, as well as the aesthetic problem that you'll get smudged/dirty screens a lot more. But if people can put up with these things, then device manufacturers are more than willing to settle for touch.

For me, though, form should follow function, not dominate it, so I don't see a touchscreen cell phone in my future. My current phone with the sculpted keys, tactile feedback, and dirt/grease hiding surface texture suit me just fine.




RE: Real Story
By Lightning III on 6/21/2007 1:46:18 PM , Rating: 2
had to rate you up before posting for that and the high school comment

It's only cool on TV and demo's I use a HTC 8125 w/ touch screen and boy do I love my slide out keyboard

these people think it will be great but the reality will leave them somewhat unsatisfied

or

they will have paid too much to publicly state that it sucks,

and that they are victim's of a shrewd marketing blitz

]:P>


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