Phone users try-by-touch

In a piece of recent research consumers were supplied with a mobile phone so that they could receive and use an SMS message whilst using a website. The interviews were short and the user had little time to orientate to the device before starting the task.

The mobile phone used in testing was a Nokia E71, it has a large view screen and a full QWERTY keyboard beneath. It’s a good phone, but not the smartest on the market.

When offered the device users would invariably touch or stroke the screen to activate it and complete the task. This reaction was either borne out of experience or expectation, either way it was interesting to see how users are developing an instinct to ‘try-by-touching’.

It seems that the iPhone has not only changed perceptions of what a mobile phone is capable of but is also influencing expectations about how the interface should work.

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