Unless you've been living under a rock, you've heard about Apple's new iPhone. I gotta tell you, it's been a long time since I've been this excited for a new product. Apple is the best design house on the planet, and this phone shows world class design points. If you haven't seen it yet, because your jail cell doesn't have a computer, check it out at Apple . Let's dissect some of the nicer parts of the design and add some beauty to our world. Let me say from the start that from a UI perspective alone, this phone marks a watershed event.
The biggest deal? The UI, of course. Look at the bottom of the phone. There's only one mechanical button. The other buttons, right above it, are in software only. Why? Because the buttons you need change with the application you are running, and they are implemented in software behind a state of the art touch screen. For instance, in the iPhone picture here, you have buttons for your phone, your messges, the web and your iPod. When you press the phone button, all of the other buttons change to buttons you want on your Phone - favorites, recents, contacts, keypad and voicemail. When you look at the contacts, you push the contact to make phone call. No stylus, no buttons. Just point to what you want . Visual voice mail. When you type in a number, and you go past the 10 digit US number, the numbers get smaller as you add them. SMS messaging looks exactly like iChat - easy to see how you can add video to this one. The keyboard is implemented in software too, and as you type the letter, you can see the letter you pressed above your finger, reducing typing errors. For the over 70 million iPod users, synchronizing the phone to your computer requires no difference in behavior.
Visually - I think it's stunning. Not a corner in sight - only smooth, round buttons and edges. Bright and bold primary colors leverage the high definition screen. Mac users will recognize the icons from their desktop. Highlights are done by bringing inactive or non-focused buttons into muted back and white tones - the active button retains the color.
Oh, is it sweet.
The biggest deal? The UI, of course. Look at the bottom of the phone. There's only one mechanical button. The other buttons, right above it, are in software only. Why? Because the buttons you need change with the application you are running, and they are implemented in software behind a state of the art touch screen. For instance, in the iPhone picture here, you have buttons for your phone, your messges, the web and your iPod. When you press the phone button, all of the other buttons change to buttons you want on your Phone - favorites, recents, contacts, keypad and voicemail. When you look at the contacts, you push the contact to make phone call. No stylus, no buttons. Just point to what you want . Visual voice mail. When you type in a number, and you go past the 10 digit US number, the numbers get smaller as you add them. SMS messaging looks exactly like iChat - easy to see how you can add video to this one. The keyboard is implemented in software too, and as you type the letter, you can see the letter you pressed above your finger, reducing typing errors. For the over 70 million iPod users, synchronizing the phone to your computer requires no difference in behavior.
Visually - I think it's stunning. Not a corner in sight - only smooth, round buttons and edges. Bright and bold primary colors leverage the high definition screen. Mac users will recognize the icons from their desktop. Highlights are done by bringing inactive or non-focused buttons into muted back and white tones - the active button retains the color.
Oh, is it sweet.
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