Sencha Touch - HTML5 Mobile App Framework
“Sencha Touch, an HTML5 mobile app framework for developing web apps with native look-and-feel on Apple iOS and Google Android touchscreen devices.”
Opera for iPhone doesn’t quite fit
I, like many others, have given Opera on the iPhone a run out over the past few days. My initial feelings are of dissapointment. I expected more. Maybe it was Opera’s clever pre-acceptance hype, or a longing for a suitable alternative to Safari… I’m not quite sure.
There’s no denying it’s quick, the secret lies behind the compressed pages pushed through Opera servers; this said server-side compression being the key reason it was so readily accepted by Apple.
My biggest gripe is that it just feels out of place, like so many apps being released of late. I can’t put my finger on what it is, but the overall experience of using Opera is nowhere near as nice or ‘comfortable’ as Safari.
It’s not an issue with conventions, the UI is intuitive, the tab ‘bar’ is a very nice inclusion and solution, and something I wouldn’t mind seeing in Safari… I won’t hold my breath on that one though.
It just doesn’t have a fully ‘native’ feel, it’s seems a little like a quick port. I’m sure it isn’t, but I just get that initial impression.
By no means is Opera for iPhone a bad browser, it’s just not up there with Safari yet. A solid second browser, perfect for if you’ve limited or slow connections, but doesn’t knock Apple’s offering off it’s perch.
Why the Nexus One needs to succeed
With competition comes innovation. Innovation is what the smart phone market needs right now. We’ve quickly arrived at the same place again, where the market leader’s feature set levels out and their competitors begin to catch up.
Take the iPhone, it hasn’t really changed since the launch model. Sure, some hardware specs have increased, but what else. Take the camera for instance. It maxes out at a 3.2mpx on the iPhone 3GS. Many cheaper ‘feature’ phones have far better quality cameras at a fraction of the cost.
The reason it hasn’t been addressed? No competition. At least in the smartphone field anyway. The 3GS’ camera is ‘good enough’. It’s comparable with everything else. For me, Google have missed an opportunity here to have a real good swing at the iPhone, and while they might not knock it from it’s perch, they could just make it wobble a little.
The Nexus One has had some pretty mixed reviews since it’s launch, but the always trustworthy Ars Technica have declared it the best smartphone currently available.
However, is that enough to persuade people that it’s worth the jump from their current phone. Is it that much better than the Droid, Pre or the iPhone?
Probably not. And that is Google’s biggest issue here. The iPhone has the biggest mainstream pull, the Pre has rejuvinated Palm and the Droid has been pretty well received. There’s enough competition out there that would seem to be just as good.
The Nexus One doesn’t seem to offer enough extra to make it an enticing switch, but what it does do is place another excellent handset on the market.
With competition comes innovation… just not enough.
2010 – Year of the mobile?
The past year was a bit of an eye opener. I’m lucky enough to be the owner of an Apple iPhone 3GS, and have been since mid way through 2009. What has really surprised me, is how much I browse the net and make use of the apps that tie in to online services. Facebook and Twitter are used exclusively on my phone. My Flickr usage has increased. Heck, I’ve even posted the odd blog entry on the move.
It’s made all the more impressive when previously my mobile net usage was precisely zero.
I’ve had phones the ability before, but never used them due to a myriad of issues; from speed, quality of browser, and practicality to name a few. However recent figures predict the number of mobile net users in 2010 is set to grow to approximately 1 billion. I feel this is a little high, but it would be foolish to suggest the mobile juggernaut isn’t gathering pace.
It’s taken many years, but surely it’s now inevitable that mobile net usage will quickly bypass that of the desktop.
With that switch will we need a change of approach where design and development is concerned? It can sometimes still be difficult to see mobile as the desktop’s equal. It’s not yet as flexible or sophisticated when it comes to looks and functionality, but as always, surely it’s the core content that matters the most.
Will the much rumoured tablet PCs and Macs change the game? Is the mobile experience of today at a sticking point? Will the desktop experience simply ‘go mobile’? Whatever the outcome, I think it’s one of the most fascinating and dare I say, exciting movements to happen in recent years.
About
19eighty7 is a collection of thoughts, ramblings and the odd freebie, collated by UK based designer and developer Dale Morrell.
If you need to get in touch, I’ll be floating about in any of the usual places: