Designing Mobile Interfaces

Chapter 13. Screens, Lights, and Sensors

The Relationship

Let’s travel down memory lane. Take a moment to think back to your first date. Stop! Just kidding; that’s outside the scope of this book. But do take a moment to remember when you bought your first cell phone. Even though I bought mine some time ago, I clearly remember the exact year, model, and reason I bought it in the first place.

The year: 1997, while in college.

The model: Motorola StarTAC, 2G GSM; 4 × 15 character, monochrome graphic display (see Figure 13-1).

The reason: Cool factor! A flip phone and the smallest cell phone available. I could send and receive calls, SMS, and store up to 100 contacts. And I could show it off ever so smoothly when I clamped it onto my belt. Back then, that was all the functionality I could ever want! It was love at first sight!

The Breakup

Well, I’m sad to say that that phone is no longer with me. I’ve had to keep up with the times and the technology. Since that StarTAC, I’ve gone through an extensive number of mobile phones. I believe the count total now is eight. That number seems reasonable, considering the rate at which people upgrade their mobile phones today—once every 18 months, according to Gizmodo.com. Today, my mobile requirements consist of greater interactive control and highly visible functionality on a powerfully crisp and color display. That original 4 × 15 monochrome graphic display, if used today, would be quite limiting and unsatisfying.

Figure 13-1. Over time, display technology ...