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Touchscreen mobile phones disappoint buyers

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Posted 3rd November 2009 at 11:40am by Jonathan Leggett

Htc hd2 touchscreen

Touchscreen mobile phone user interfaces have some way to go before satisfying the needs of consumers, a survey has shown.

Phones with touchscreen user interfaces have become industry standard on high-end and mid-range models over the last few years, as consumers are seduced by claims that they are easier to use and more intuitive.

However, a poll conducted by Canalys indicates that the majority of buyers have been disappointed by their experiences.

Of the 3,000 Britons surveyed for the study, 53 per cent of those who already own a touchscreen phone said they would be going back to a more traditional keypad for their next handset purchase.

Pete Cunningham, senior analyst at Canalys, said that the findings show that it is “imperative that vendors focus on usability and practicality” and that they “continue to enhance their interfaces” to convince people of the merits of touchscreens.

He added: "There has always been a question mark over how well touchscreens would work among an SMS-centric audience, and the results indicate that the transition has not been totally smooth."

The study did, however, also reveal that demand for touchscreens remains strong with 38 per cent of those polled saying that they seek out phones with finger-based touchscreen interfaces and 17 per cent looking for stylus-based touchscreen phones.

More news on: Consumer trends, Touchscreen phones

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4 Comments

  • Slim Jim, 3rd November 2009.

    Touchscreens are spot-on, unless you've got fat fingaz. The future is closed to anyone with short, chubby digits.

    Reply

  • Neville Brady, 3rd November 2009.

    Depends what make of touchscreen phone you got and how much you spent. Don't hear many people complaining about iPhone touschsreens.

    Reply

  • Mark, 4th November 2009.

    Actually the survey says that HTC and Apple are miles ahead of the other manufacturers in terms of providing a good touchscreen experience.

    Reply

  • Portadown Pete, 9th November 2009.

    @Mark

    Sure, but they still didn't do that well. For me, a smartphnone NEEDS to have a QWERTY keyboard. Especially if you use your phone for business.

    Reply

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