Posted by on Thursday, July 17th, 2008 at 12:46 pm.
Although this post is slightly off my usual blogging theme, I stopped and noticed something last weekend whilst browsing the internet.
Like a Geek, I queued up last Friday to get myself one of the new iPhone 3G phones. When the previous iPhone came out in Summer last year, I resisted, and held out for the second generation, as I knew it wouldn’t be long, and any major flaws would be ironed out. After getting my new iPhone, I can honestly say that it is a very impressive peice of kit.
As a web designer, one of the biggest things that struck me was how fast and simple it is to use the internet browser on the phone. After syncing the phone up with my Wireless Internet at both work and at the office, you can literally be checking your facebook or eBay account within seconds of taking it out your pocket.
Whilst I was browsing the internet on my new iPhone, I remember how I used to go on the Internet on older ‘WAP’ phones, and how they mini, less impressive text based versions of their normal counterparts. I also remember buying a book about 4 years ago on web-site design and HTML. It had a whole chapter dedicated to ‘Designing A WAP Website For Mobile Devices’. Now mobile phones are accessing the normal unrestricted Internet, is that chapter now irrelevant and old technology?
As the iPhone and many other manufacturers handsets can browse and display the full, normal Internet, is the old ‘WAP’ style web design style obsolete? I have however noticed that on my iPhone, if I go to certain web-sites like Facebook, it recognises that I am using an iPhone and loads an ‘iPhone’ version of the web-site, that is more user friendly for iPhone small screen.
I think that mobile Internet is on starting to evolve. If all other mobile phone manufacturers are now making phones that can now access the full Internet in the same way to the iPhone and Nokia N95, are more web-sites going to offer an ‘iPhone’ version that can detect how you’re accessing their web-site just like Facebook?
Thinking of Getting an iPhone 3G?
Now that I have an iPhone, a lot of people are asking me if it is any good. I can honestly say that it is a truly fantastic phone, that is years ahead of the competition. I think that until the launch of Nokia’s N96 later this year, nothing is proving too big a threat to the iPhone’s target market.
The new ‘App Store’ is great for downloading games and programs. The 3G data speed is truly impressive and with the launch of the new 3G phone, prices and tariffs are becoming more competitive and value for money.
The only downside that I am having with my iPhone 3G is the amount that I use it means that I get about a day and a half of battery life! I have also noticed some lagging/pausing when using the Address Book.
Genuine Mobile Parts & Components – TELcomponents.
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on November 17th, 2008 Says:
Iphone is great – although i really need a keyboard to type quickly.
Just on your point about iphone versions of the site, people should not be thinking of just iphone versions of their sites – there are so many great devices out there now.
We (my design agency) uses handsetdetection.com to help customise content on the fly.
Looking at the stats, it is interesting to see what type of phones are hitting the sites we build – it helps us design future sites accordingly.
on December 19th, 2008 Says:
I got an iPod Touch to use it as a research / testing tool for a couple of mobile projects that got down to me from a business partner. From what I’ve seen it’s pretty much the same as the iPhone, except for the 3G connection of course.
Just like the rest of the Apple family, the product is outstanding. The user interface is brilliant, transition effects, screen resolution, etc, cutting edge.
The keyboard is definitely something to improve on for the future, although i’m not sure how will they manage to make a better one in such a small screen space… Sometimes i prefer to turn it 90 degrees and use it horizontally – bigger keys…
Anyway, prob 2009 will bring a handfull of iPhone copycats from the rest of the players, touchscreen phones market share in mobile internet market will raise (of course non XHTML compatible phones will still be out there for waaaaaay long, but as we all know, where there’s money making potential for big corps, there’s improvement / tech evolution / lower hardware prices, etc), and web design studios will lean towards mobile web design.
Cheers,
Manuel
on February 25th, 2009 Says:
The new ‘App Store’ is great for downloading games and programs.
The 3G data speed is truly impressive and with the launch of the new 3G phone, prices and tariffs are becoming more competitive and value for money.