Yes, size does matter !

How big can a phone be?

What is the right size for a phone, what is the right size for a tablet?

Here are some easy facts trying to give some thresholds in this fuzzy world. Sorry if you find it too obvious, but when you look at the market, it doesn't seem so...

Which one is the iPad?

1. The one-hand test

For me, a phone should fit in one hand, and should be possible to use with one hand, the other carrying you bag, or doing whatever you want, until it is legal ;-)

So, what does it mean?

I have a "regular" hand, so I think my own experience is relevant. Large hands can add a few millimetres to my conclusions

That's OK (Galaxy S2)

The test is to be able to type a phone number or a text with you thumb, without too many errors and keeping comfortable. This probably leads to a width of 65 – 66 mm, considering current screen frames (bezel).
The trick is that it depends also on the thickness of the phone. So a Samsung Galaxy S2 with 66.1 x 8.5 mm is comparable to a HTC Sensation with 65.4 x 11.3 mm while a HTC HD2 with 67 x 11 mm is too big.
This will evolve as frames will be thinner and thickness will reduce. This should allow 4,5”, maybe 4,7 or even 5” screens.

OOH, it is too big
(Galaxy Note)

The other thing is the height: it must allow your thumb to cross comfortably the screen, in order to be able to reach the keys at the bottom as well as the notification bar on the top. This becomes more and more a constraint as screens are wider with the evolution towards qHD resolution. This is more subjective as the hand can move, but it seems we have reached the limit.

According to these considerations, the new Galaxy Note (5,3" screen) does not pass the test. I let you decide if it is enough to say it is not a phone but a (small) tablet.

2. The pocket test

Then, what is the next threshold?

The HTC Flyer in
a trouser pocket

The pocket test seems relevant. A jacket or a jean have more or less the same pocket size: 120 mm wide (considering the thickness).This corresponds also more or less of the size of a Lady hand bag. This means currently 7” screen. The new Samsung 7,7” Galaxy (133 mm) does not fit in a pocket, which is really a pity. The frames are currently very wide on tablets and we can assume that 8” screen will soon fit in 120 mm.

The HTC Flyer in
a jacket pocket

The weight is also a constraint. My wallet weight 160g, which gives a benchmark. The Flyer with 420g is heavy, and today only the Note is below 200g. Well, when will be available a 7” at 250g with a stylus???

 

3. Typing without a support

HTC Flyer

If you intent to use your tablet standing, you should better not go over 7” also. There are two ways to use it: two thumbs typing or having the tablet in one hand and typing / writing with the other. In both cases 120/130 mm width is a good threshold, even if it is more flexible than the former one.

But what is the interest to have a bigger screen?

Resolution is not really an issue: the Galaxy Note has the same resolution (800 x 1280 pixels) than a Galaxy 7,7” or 10,1”, and more pixels than an iPad 2 (768 x 1024 pixels). Sure the bigger is more comfortable, but the Note is amazing for book reading.

4. The two hands keyboard

Galaxy 10,1"

If you intend to use your tablet sitting, like a laptop, you will be interested by the possibility to type with two hands, as on a normal qwerty keyboard. Maybe you don’t believe it is convenient, in fact it is astonishing. You can really take notes during a meeting… For that, you need 190 mm to be comfortable, which corresponds for example to the Samsung 8,9” screen or the iPad.

So, is 9” the perfect size?

On one hand, I believe that a 8,5 / 9” in 16/9 format could fit in near future both above criteria: 120 mm overall width to fit in a pocket and 190 mm screen length to allow two hands typing.

On the other hand, there is no limit until a school bag size, which should allow 11 / 12” size, beginning to be really comfortable. My paper notebook weights 560 g which is exactly the 10,1" Tab right, while being much bigger, and remaining really acceptable...

Here is a view to summarise. Light green corresponds to current possibilities, dark one to next future.

As always everything depends on the way you intend to use your phone/ tablet, but in any case you need to keep in mind that resolution is as important as screen size, while physical size will determine the way your mobility is impacted.

Nota: all figures comes from the very good GSM Arena site

The end of hardware: everything now is just software

In three years, the iPhone has made most of the multimedia portable devices obsolete. During the iPhone launch keynote, Steve Jobs presented it as “an iPod, a Phone and an Internet communicator”, making useless music players and palmtop computers (like PDA). With mobile calendar and contacts synchronization, Palm and other “organisers” were out-dated. With the camera phone, digital compact cameras are getting less and less necessary and with the integrated GPS and compass, no more need of TomTom or Garmin… Apple provides with the iPhone a universal and a must-have Swiss Army knife. The single-task digital devices can be left on the History shelves.

“Power users” are certainly not going to push aside their reflex cameras or their hi-fi system for an iPhone, but for most of the consumers, the iPhone satisfy all their digital needs.

However, smartphones now exist beyond the iPhone and all manufacturers have intensified their creativity to compete with them. Google and Android have been finally providing a real convincing alternative, developed thanks to reliable products, cheaper than the iPhone. Google benefits from the support of leading players like HTC, Samsung, LG and Sony Ericsson. Microsoft, with Windows Mobile 7, seems to be able to offer a new mobile experience really innovative and thought to be mass market, with the brand new support of Nokia. The ultimate player in this smart-phones ecosystem is a new player in the mass market: RIM. Relying on Blackberry’s fame, they provide up-market services as well as a messenger Blackberry community- targeted service that seduces many young people.

Those ones make the market today.

Beyond the smartphones success, what will be the consequences for the mobile handset industry and also for the consumer electronics and the software markets? What services consumers will be provided with?

The end of hardware: everything now is just software

Further integration of components, fall in prices and larger consumer electronics ranges are cause and effect of a mass-product success. This phenomenon has been observed in the personal computing market since the nineties and in the handset market since 2000’s.

Today, from the low end of the mobile phones range, you can find touch screens, cameras and multimedia player. Then you can find mobile phones that have the power of a five year-old top of the range computer, plus high-speed internet, a GPS, an accelerometer, and a TV output. Those devices that used to be very expensive give birth to new consumer use, not necessarily obvious:

What to do with an accelerometer? Not really measure the acceleration of your new car but rather your phone’s angle, opening up new horizons, particularly in gaming, transforming the handset in a sensitive gamepad – what made the Wii a hit.

Is touch screen useful to make a call? Not really – even opposite; but via internet access, it becomes a universal remote control, able to control your multimedia computer from your armchair, get your playlist appear on the screen and pop up any buttons you may need.

Adding up those two previous features, you can make a radio-controlled helicopter fly.

And a GPS, what for? Everybody already has one in their car, it was the product of 2008, isn’t’ it?

Yes it was, but always-on Internet access allows community applications. Not only to know if you have a friend sitting in the same bar as you, but also to know if a radar has been spotted on your road.

A camera? To make fine-art? Or rather to identify bar codes, business cards, movements or screening the environment, giving path to place recognition. The mix of screen and captor allows to share with friends pictures taken during the day. It is disposable, but it is nice.

A compass? You don’t practice orienteering race? Maybe, but it is able to know where you point the phone, so it can give you the sky map with the name of the stars you are looking at.

All those features are available to third parties thanks to platforms opened to applications developers that give all their sense to those technological headways.

What will be the effects on the consumer and on the market? The main one is that specific hardware is becoming obsolete.

For instance, in order to benefit from a radar alerting system, you had to buy a special device – the first were sold 700€ - and pay for a contract including communications and service. Now, you just have to download the application. A universal remote control used to cost more than 300€. The application for iPod Touch, iPhone and Android is free…. Today any smartphone processor already has the device; it just needs to get the right service via the applications store. But those usages could only exist thanks to reassuring unlimited contract enabling to be “always-on”: the megabit price dropped from 3€ to 0.5€ with the iPhone launch.

As well as PC has ended the specific industrial automated hardware, smartphones have shifted the issue from hardware to software: the device exists; you just need software and services to use it.

To this point, it is worth paying attention at Apple’s communication: iPod advertisements focus on game and the main part of communication (the famous keynotes) dwell on software and its partners.

Creativity is impressive: with the mix of camera sensor, GPS, Internet access, accelerator, and compass you can go way further traditional use. Augmented reality becomes possible. The screen captures our visions and the smartphone, knowing where you are and where you are looking at, add pop ups, like monuments’ names, restaurants in your neighbourhood, etc.

Even American Army uses iPhones to calculate balls’ trajectories, to translate and to broadcast pictures sent from drones… Many services suppliers gave up producing specific hardware and are just adding software layers on existing devices. Soon, on-board computers and car radios, today developed with specific hardware and software, will be on-board smartphones, playing music and video on demand… Entertaining systems in planes will follow the same way (it is already the case with Windows CE, the grandfather of portable OS). Just as there are today computers everywhere, there will be tomorrow smartphones everywhere, and all won’t place calls.

To be continued!

A few weeks with a Samsung Galaxy S2 and a HTC Sensation

Well, it has been now three months that I live without an iPhone, and it is great! Everything is over-the-air, no iTunes, welcome to the open world. Big screens, customisation, widgets, etc. It is funny because I find that people are really changing and say "Oh, your phone looks great, I should have bought it instead an iPhone..."
I have had the opportunity to test many Android devices, and the two last flagships are really great: HTC Sensation and Samsung Galaxy S2.
They are really one step ahead from previous ones, in term of hardware and software. They fit perfectly in your hand, even with their 4,3” screen. It is radically different from a Desire HD for example, which was really big. The standard software such as in call management, quick access to settings (wifi…), Office, e-mail is great.
I have read a lot of test between the two models, but what I wanted to give you a real user feedback after a few weeks of usage. What are the differences between the two? To be honest, the both are great and you won’t be disappointed with them.
So, what can I say?
In term of design, both are great, and really different: maybe it is the first glance that will help you to choose. The HTC is soft, with curves, metal finish, and brown colours. The Samsung is square, thinner and lighter, black, a bit more plastic but nice.
The Samsung has one central hard key, for home, enabling also wake up, which is really convenient, as well as a side key for locking. This is much more convenient than the only key at the top of the HTC. Both lack a camera button. The other touch key works very well, HTC ones are easier to distinguish. Samsung lacks the search key, not a big deal…
The HTC has an USB plug on the left, which is not very convenient on a car support, but not a big deal either.

That’s for pure hardware, what’s happens when you turn it on?
The screen, first. A lot has been said about the Samsung super AMOLED. Well, it is not so impressive in fact. It is bright, yes, too much. Very vivid, and the Samsung colours are ugly (yes, it is subjective). In comparison, the HTC is elegant, with a very high definition and subtle grey colours. The definition of the Sensation (540 x 960 pixels vs 480 x 800 pixels) allows 2 or 3 e-mails more on the screen, while I have the impression to have activated the settings for shortsighted on the Galaxy! The colours are more faithful on the HTC also. The QHD definition of the Sensation is also great to look at a film and offers really more space and a better visual impression. The only issue is that some applications are not well designed for it, such as Pure Grid Calendar, iCoyote, Le Monde… Hope it will change soon.
Nothing to say about processor, the two dual core work great. Samsung offers 6 GB more storage, that’s good!
Both have 8 Mp AF camera, LED flash, HD video capture. Both also have front camera, which is great with the Visidon face recognition unlock app; nevertheless HTC front one is very poor.

So, what about software?
HTC Sense interface is great, and if you like customisation but are not keen to spend hours on the market to have you own interface, it is definitely the best choice. The lock screen is great (even if I prefer Widget locker for the widgets and the ability to have direct access to the notification bar). The icons are more elegant than on the Samsung. But why only 4 rows of icons? The screen is perfect with 5 x 5 icons with Launcher Pro (for example). Samsung is a copy of iOS, nothing stunning in fact.
Both are very fluid and stable, and allow over the air firmware update.
Both have very good notification bar short-cuts for settings, call and music control. This is really an asset and change the usage compared to other brands. The “in call management” of the Galaxy is better for call rejection with SMS and call switching. What have done HTC engineers for the call switching, it is a nightmare!
The smart dialling, ie contact search of the HTC is great, it is enough for me to prefer it to the Samsung. The free app One Dialer offers an ersatz, but really not as good. If you call a lot, it makes the difference. Another thing: volume of calls is very low on Samsung, whatever the headset you have, you can hardly ear your correspondent in a relatively noisy environment.
E-mail client and office suite (Polaris) are both good. HTC and Samsung offer both additional services (applications, books, films, etc.), I am not sure one is clearly above the other. HTC offers a good navigation software where you can download countries maps you can use offline. Very useful if you travel abroad. Samsung offers photo and video editors.
Widgets, contacts and social network integration are definitely better on HTC. Sense.com, even if not very stable, offers remote device management: you can find or kill your device if you have lost it. HTC Sync is also a plus if you want to sync with your PC and not over the air.
HTC keyboard is great, while Samsung offers the very powerful but peculiar Swype. If you don't like it, too bad, the standard keyboard is very basic. HTC offers also a Swype like keyboard, lost in the settings...
Last, not least, battery life. I have installed JuiceDefender, and I manage to finish the day without charging them. Nevertheless, the Samsung seems to be better at this game. I will update you after some further usage.

So, what conclusion? In term of look and feel, it is hard and subjective. Samsung is thinner and lighter (116g vs 148), and has more convenient lock/unlock keys. Nevertheless, I prefer the Sensation finish. For the screen, HTC wins, as well as for the software and phone usage. Battery life could again be in favour of the Galaxy, and I must admit I am really impressed. I will keep you updated when I can test a Sensation XE. Well, you know everything now, I let you decide! Anyway, you won’t regret any of your choice. Buy a brand new 64 GB micro SD and make all the iPhone owners jealous!

10 000 euros the Go: how my carrier made me go to VOIP on my mobile phone

When you don't pay your parking fee, you may be fined with an amount of 5 to 50 times the normal fee. When you don't pay your train ticket, it is about the same. When you are travelling abroad and you dare using your data connection on your mobile phone, despite all the warnings of your phone and your operator, you are "fined' with an amount of 1 000 times the inland fee: you may pay 10 000 € for 1 Go, instead of 10 €. What’s the hell? Have you done something wrong? No, you have just been using the Roaming service of your Operator.
Based on this fact, I would like to tell you a little tale...
I am a business man, I use mobile phone for work, and my company is paying for that: I have some unlimited plan, and I am not really price sensitive (and my carrier has well understood that). I am on business trip, and I make some calls, at a very expensive price, but I have to… It is for work, isn’t it… 30 - 50 € calls for my business trip, it is OK, anyway I have no choice...
Then, I check my e-mails. I have carefully bought a traveller internet pass… so I am safe. 1, 2 e-mail… Hum, I need a Chinese phrase book to take the taxi, I will find it on the app store… and by the way, where is my next meeting? let’s check on Gmaps… oh, I have already burnt my data credit…
Well, I will try on my computer, I have a 3G card with unlimited data plan after all. Oh no! Windows is starting downloading an update… oh, my connection is blocked… ah, yes, I have already burnt my data credit allowance (35€)… seriously, I cannot come home with 200€ fee. I have heard of a colleague having a 1075€ bill… it made some noise…
Well, what can I do? I cannot live without internet in a business trip. Ah, I will go in my hotel lobby, there is Wifi. Oh, in the nearest café also, that is great! And it is 10 € the unlimited pass in my room, well, finally it is cheap. Good, I have entered this @&#@!!! code in my laptop and smartphone, and I am now connected. Good to be citizen of Internet again… Ah, ah, now that the effort is done, why not to try one of these service I have heard of... How is it called? Skype, Viber, GTalk??? Ah, I have to create an ID. Well, for 1000 €, I could try...
Oh, but it is not so complicated in fact, and it imports my address book; I will buy 10€ credit. And I will even make my next call conference with it, let’s try. 60c an hour. Not bad. And the line was good. Finally, I was wrong, I had a choice… And I can call my family from the end of the world on their fix line for 60c an hour again, great. I have also video call for free… Maybe I should try back home...
And that’s it, the job is done. I have discovered a service I would never have made the effort to try if the roaming fee had been acceptable. Now I have an ID, I know how it works, I have bought a credit, I find the quality good... I use it for work and for personal use. It has changed my life.
It reminds me something called i*****, oh sorry! Well, you will understand yourself, don’t you?

Disclaimer: all these events are fictional, and any link to real facts is a pure coincidence.
PS: But maybe I should try to get some figures to make nice business cases from this…

Did you say user friendly?

Did you say user friendly?

Last week end, I made a small thing that changed my life.
After six years, I have dismounted the child safety that makes the opening of a cupboard door or drawer so complex.
These small pieces of plastic have been very useful to protect my children, but are very painful in the everyday life.

But, after 6 years, you get used to it and it seems natural. That's why I was eventually surprised when my wife told me it has been a great improvement to dismount them... It took me some days to learn how to open the door without it…
One day after, I had another interesting experience. I went in a hotel with a very smart system of infrared detection which automatically calls the lift when you are in front of the door. Smart isn’t it? When you have your case in the hands, or a breakfast tray… The only problem is that all my colleagues were looking for the button and unanimously found the system “not natural at all”.
But what is the link with mobile, then?
Well, it just that you get used to everything and your judgment is heavily biased by your habits. When you are a heavy Blackberry user, you find that everything different is not user friendly.
When you are used to an old clumsy OS that have been done by engineers who apparently didn’t talk to each other, the first acceptable OS seems wonderful...
User friendly? An evidence? It is not so easy, it remains relative…

M-commerce: the real shops strike back

Instead of Bringing goods to customer, how to bring customers to goods?

The first revolution of internet has been the information: for retailers, Internet 1.0 was a new, cheap and quite efficient advertising space. For consumers it was also a way to have a quick overview of the existing offer.  The internet 1.0 was an additional exposure for real shops.

Then arrived the dream of the new economy, let’s call it 1.1: retailers started to build on-line shops, relying on the existing offer of their real shops. The “click and mortar” considered internet as another market and the pure players as their only market. Discounters as well as price comparators flourished. These gave a serious competition to real shops, but everybody seemed to discover that goods are still real and that logistics is not free and obvious therefore competition was not so tough.

The Internet players who survived are those who managed to find a true added value in Internet with an additional layer of intelligence to the pure straightforward e-commerce.  Amazon has built a clever recommendation system, and “Vente Privée” introduced the thrill of time limited offer. Let’s call it internet 1.5.

Web 2.0, introducing user generated content, has brought a new value to the Internet. This new revolution has been an additional blow to real shops. First, by giving to customers the possibility to recommend stuff, sales people advice became less valuable and pertinent. As shoppers were given the opportunity to interact and express their view, the retailers loosed grasp on the visibility of their offer. In addition to that, consumer also became retailers. They were able to sell and exchange goods somehow at the expense of real shops (on e-bay and classified ad sites), with e-payment (paypal) boosting it.

That’s when internet went mobile. It is the third step of its evolution, and it is rather a revolution: mobile internet is not only internet accessed in mobility, it is a bunch of new features, among them localisation.

Real shops could get their revenge here: it is no more the demander going on internet to select its purchase, but the internet coming to the consumer to offer him content and relevant information. Instead of pushing a product to the client, Groupon and Foursquare-likes warn him about potential deals that could be around him. This is enabled by localisation based recommendation programs and deals, that would eventually be energised through NFC and the upcoming new mobile features (LTE, Cloud, …).

The roles have been reversed and the pro-activity is no more on the consumer side. While the Internet 1.x and 2.0 had provided reflection and wide scale comparison in the purchasing journey, the Internet 3.0 will push recommended goods based on customer profiling and localisation. The introduction of time limited offers increases the thrill and impulsivity of the purchasing act. Proximity, which was the first asset of street retailers, is back in the mobile e-business. Geographical proximity but also affinity proximity as social networks provides valuable info to targets customers.

Real shops can reinvest the internet, leveraging the very tool that threatened them a decade ago. The war is not over.

Morand, Maxime et Axel

Microsoft propose un outil de migration iOS -> Windows Phone 7

Microsoft propose un outil de migration iOS -> Windows Phone 7