|
 Consumers surveyed last year by the Yankee Group placed "style or look" high on a list of the most important factors in choosing a phone, behind only price and ease of use but above battery life and technical considerations, writes USA Today.
"... "These are just not cellphones the way we have come to think of cellphones in the past," says Michael Gartenberg, vice president at Jupiter Research. <>"This is technology and fashion merging into one, and consumers are willing to pay."
Here's a look at what's influencing cutting-edge design: Form and function - The flip phone or clamshell is the predominant design in the USA. So-called sliders and phones shaped like candy bars are more popular overseas. Trendspotting - Phone designers are "culture vultures," says Nokia's Grant. They take cues from the car industry, fashionistas and regular folks Meeting expectations - Buyers fit niches: by age, sex and need. Some phones are better for entertainment, others for messaging Impact of iPhone - "The iPhone is the most-anticipated phone since Alexander Graham Bell introduced his," says Gartenberg. "If received warmly, it will raise the bar for what other manufacturers are going to have to produce to compete." Ultimately, a single phone may take on personas. Nokia is working on phones whose lights change color, patterns and frequency, depending on your mood. The same could happen to displays. <>"All carriers are goofing around with changing the user interface so it looks or acts differently," says Jon Maron, senior marketing director at LG. Microsoft spinoff ZenZui has devised a clever customizable interface that divides the screen into a grid of colorful "tiles," each with fresh content. You click on them to zoom in on stuff." Source |
