18 June 2007

Nokia sees the future of mobile phones
in touchscreens and optical sensors

Finger Touching Wearable Mobile Device; turns fingers into keyboard

Since the iPhone and it's "revolutionary" input method/user interface finally became public, with all growing controversy and doubts that it caused, the input interface technologies on the mobile phones becomes the pretty actual and in focus nowadays.

It seams that new no-buttons handset signals that mobiles as we know them may soon be a thing of the past?!

Optical sensors and touch screens are the leading technologies that cell phone makers are likely to use as improvements to the tiny keypads with the classic 12-key numeric keypad that appearing on 95% of all handsets shipped.

"Optical sensors and touch will be the next big things,"
Nokia Chief Technology Officer Tero Ojanpera said in Singapore on Monday ahead of the CommunicAsia telecom fair.

*click to enlarge
the Nokia Aeon conceptfeatures a “full surface touchscreen” display that replaces the traditional keypad.

Touch screens enable cell phone makers to hide numeric keypads, while optical sensors pick up movement of the phone. For example, shaking a phone could initiate a call to your loved one, or turning it around would open an Internet connection.

"I believe there will be a lot of innovation around these,"
Ojanpera said.

Alloy Total Product Design’s “The Polygon” boasts two displays: a standard high-resolution display for viewing data and a touchscreen for accessing menus, etc.

Nokia has used touch screens on its niche products for years, but LG Electronics' Prada and Apple's forthcoming iPhone are set to introduce touch screens to wider audiences. Also Taiwan's High Tech Computer Corp. HTC is set to roll out its Touch phone this month in Asia and Europe.

Clamshells and candy bars be gone. Tomorrow's cell phones may bear little resemblance to the snap-open handsets or even the sleek, flat rectangular phones we sport today.