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ISTANBUL DESIGN WEEKEND 2009
BAUHAUS SUMMER SCHOOL 2009
An article in this week's Economist contains an interesting product prediction: based on what they saw at the CTIA Wireless 2007 show, Apple's "ho-hum" iPhone is an "also-ran," while it is the Helio Ocean's "ingenious user interface" that will capture the market. One of the biggest criticisms the article levels at the iPhone is that Apple decided to go with Cingular's EDGE network, which operates on dial-up speeds, compared to the broadband speeds of the Ocean's EV-DO network.
We feel there is a design lesson here. The thing Apple's detractors and competitors usually underestimate is emotion. When the 1st generation iPod Mini came out, everyone predicted it would fail; for $249 it offered only 4 gigs of storage, and for another 50 bucks you could get a 20 gig iPod. It didn't make mathematical sense to purchase a Mini.
Yet the Mini sold like hotcakes, not because it was the most logically sound product, but because it was like that person at the bar you can't take your eyes off; cute, sexy, and you want to take them home with you. This principle, embodied in a product, is something you're simply never going to get with, say, a Microsoft Zune.
As for the "ingenious user interface" of the Ocean--a pull-out keyboard, rather than a touchpad--we think The Economist is a little out-of-touch, no pun intended, on this one.
Ironically, most Economist online articles are available only to print subscribers; but anyone can click the link to read this one, because the link is sponsored--by advertiser Microsoft.
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Comments
In the industry we have all time and time again seen people light up from that Apple Aesthetic (and heard people constantly charging us to replicate it in their products) - and while I agree that a good portion of apple's products are in fact (and please excuse the term here) hot sex - I feel the iPhone is lack luster and sub par to the emotive beasts that Apple offers elsewhere in its line.
I have to say that I agree with the author from the Economist on the fact that slow use speeds are a serious threat to crippling the iPhone. While the Mini didn't make sense to buy (for $50 less than an iPod) the use of a mini is just as (if not more) enjoyable than its more economical big brother.
Apple is taking a huge risk sacrificing function on cingular's slower network. I bought my powerbook because it looked cool - I love my powerbook because it's functionality impresses me daily.
Basically I'm surprised at how blinded by the iPhone light everyone seems to be.
Anyway - hope it works. I would love to not have to carry around a cell phone AND an iPod, but i'm not holding my breath.
I'm going to reserve judgement until both phones are actually out on the market. I think both Apple and Helio are making compelling products, and are targeting an overlapping demographic.
However to me, just solely based on preliminary reviews of both products, I think the iphone is more like an ipod with phone and wi-fi capabilities, and the ocean is more like a pumped up sidekick--actually what the sidekick 3 should have become.
I'm almost 30 years old and I need access to corporate email (aka exchange) but I still have gmail, I chat on AIM and Yahoo, and I do the Myspace thing as well, so the ocean appeals to me. I like the fact that it has a music player in it (even more so because it plays MP3, AAC, and WMA) but I have an ipod that does that, and it pretty much goes with me when i need it. I like having a separate phone/mp3 player-- I'm rougher on phones because i just plain use it more. The iphone looks more fragile than the ocean...
ipods Hard drives crash all the time. tell me what you are going to do when your iphone Hard drive crashes.
or it will lock up like an ipod.
I disagree with the fact that the ocean's keyboard is less "in-touch" than a touch pad. Coming from an 8125. Having to dial by touch screen is very disjointed, and un-natural. Plus it basically impossible to do in a car with out taking your eyes of the road. I prefer buttons over screen anyday.
Chumbie: er, the iPhone doesn’t have a hard drive.