Nowhere has the evolution of touchscreen technology been more evident than in mobile phones. While phones were starting to gain features and processing power similar to those found on computers, their usability was limited by far smaller screens and lack of space for buttons. People loved their feature-filled phones, but found them hard to navigate.
More features meant that menus were deeper and more complex. “When the convergence trend really picked up, phones were becoming incredibly difficult to use,” said Dr. Skott Ahn, President & CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “Phones had cameras, MP3 players, web browsers and even DMB TV tuners, but the interfaces for each feature relied on the same set of static buttons. We wanted to give our customers new phones that were as easy to use as the simpler handsets they replaced, and saw touchscreens as a solution.”
With the 2007 release of the PRADA Phone by LG, the world’s first full touchscreen phone, LG began to fulfill its mission of creating the optimal interface for phones with long feature lists. The company has made remarkable advances in the years since and at the Mobile World Congress 2009, unveils its new 3D User Interface (UI), which débuts on ARENA, its flagship multimedia handset.
“With our new UI we have created an interface that is not only faster and more intuitive than previous platforms, but is also more dynamic and fun to use. It eliminates unnecessary steps, adapting to fit each feature and each person’s preferences. We have done all of this while also giving our new UI a sense of fun found nowhere else,” said Dr. Ahn.
Touch-based 3D menus give our new UI a life-like look that adds to its intuitive nature. Sorting through multimedia is accomplished by dragging a finger across 3D Reels with clearly marked icons, rather than looking through long lists of files. Using the camera in our new 3D UI enabled phones is easier than using a stand alone digital camera. Because the interface is touch-based, it can transform according to the settings, which are selected using an intuitive onscreen dial, similar to the dials atop expensive D-SLR cameras.
LG’s new 3D UI is also fast. One of LG’s goals for the interface was to make transitions – changes between menus, screens or applications – faster. This is clearly evident looking at its main screen. Built-around a 3D cube layout, the new UI actually provides four customisable home screens. The simple flick of a finger instantly turns the cube from one side to the next. With four times the space for direct shortcuts to features, LG’s new 3D UI is undeniably speedy.
LG also eliminated nested menus wherever possible. Items in Elastic Lists, a new concept for this interface, instantly expand when touched, providing information and options. This eliminates the extra step of switching to a new screen, which saves time and makes it easier to browse to other choices.
LG’s new 3D UI does not just jog along at a mild pace. It sprints instantly between features and screens with rich, vivid graphics. This is important, given the interface’s incredibly fun and dynamic 3D graphics. In the Floating Image Gallery, for example, photos line up instantly in rows when the phone is held vertically. Turned horizontally, the images fall off the screen and larger versions appear, perfectly sized for showing off. Navigation is as simple as flicking a finger.
“Nothing could be easier than our new 3D UI,” said John Barton, sales & marketing director of LG’s Mobile Division in the UK & Ireland. “It firmly establishes us as a leader in mobile interface technology and is the result of much hard work and research into what our customers want from their phones.”
After making its debut with ARENA, LG’s new 3D UI will become the standard on LG’s high-end handsets. LG plans to introduce several high-end models this year, including camera phones and smartphones with enhanced usability and premium design.
For a closer look at LG’s new 3D UI, visit LG’s booth (Hall 8) at the Mobile World Congress 2009 in Barcelona, from February 16 through 19.