This publication has been discontinued on July 19, 2011.
ABSTRACT
Mobile user interfaces (MUI) have attracted considerable investments from the wireless industry. Mobile applications are key to successful wireless service offerings and the success of applications in turn depends on effective MUIs. This is because the MUI provides the medium for interacting with the applications being accessed. With the proliferation of handheld devices such as PDAs, mobile phones etc., MUIs have become very important. A uniform MUI may not serve the purpose of all devices or all categories of users, necessitating the need to customization. Basically firms could build a group of generic MUIs and can then extend the same depending on usage. In building effective MUIs, firms could face challenges in terms of display resolution, display size, data interaction method, power usage, cost etc. This calls for a rationalization of features and benefits to arrive at a portfolio of offerings to suit different usage needs. Moreover the MUIs should be intuitive and easy to use for the end user with minimal support from the associated user manuals. Some other considerations while building MUIs include the following: security, authentication, input/output devices, future applications, entertainment, price, location-based services etc.
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OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVICE MANUFACTURERS
There are three general areas of opportunity: (1) creating a mobile user interface that makes best use of new input/output components (e.g., new displays), (2) creating a mobile user interface that can be extended from mobile phones to other devices such as portable MP3 players and personal health monitors, and (3) development of modular transceivers and application-specific devices. Let's examine each separately.
Unfortunately, there is no single user interface that is optimal for every display and data input method. But manufacturers can gain some competitive advantage by anticipating the specific attributes of larger, higher resolution displays and so forth. Manufacturers should at least make the effort, as Nokia has, to define a limited number of user interface categories to be reused whenever it makes sense. Over time, specific user interface categories may be dropped, while others become popular.
There could be considerable value to a mobile user interface that is reused in different types of devices. This will eliminate the need to re-invent the wheel, and will make life easier for application developers. Users will appreciate the use of familiar interfaces on disparate devices. There is an opportunity for individual hardware vendors to create standard interfaces that could guarantee their participation in new markets. For example, a phone manufacturer that develops a user interface that is also used in personal health monitors may be able to supply user interface hardware to those who produce personal health monitors, or license designs to them. A user interface that cuts across multiple markets could also lead to the creation of a keirestu around that user interface.
The development of modular transceivers and application-specific devices could ensure the continued market dominance of handset makers as wireless networks are populated with non-handset devices. As we discuss later in the report, there may be opportunities for a Personal Mobile Gateway as defined by IXI Mobile. Likewise, there will no doubt be opportunities for embedded transceivers as 2.5G and 3G services expand wireless' utility.
Handset manufacturers that do not participate in defining the mobile user interface are at risk of having others define it for them, wresting away control of the look and feel of their products, and freezing them out of important new device markets.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SERVICE PROVIDERS
The mobile user interface is key to whether new applications succeed or fail. As NTT DoCoMo has proved, the mobile user interface can be used to create branded services, attract developers, and enlist third party content/service providers.
While operators should not try to deliver end-to-end solutions, they have as much reason to select specific mobile user interfaces as specific mobile devices. The mobile user interface defines, to a great extent, the look and feel of services. In fact, a successful operator-defined user interface could attract a following, and large operators should consider creating their own mobile user interface standards and requiring manufacturers conform to those standards.
There is a general trend among telecom operators to steer between the extremes of providing dumb pipes and end-to-end solutions. The middle ground is the smart pipe. This is essentially a set of services and features that can be quickly adapted to specific applications.
Thus, by creating smart pipes with various features for both consumers (e.g., unified messaging, personal digital lockers for storing content, etc.) and enterprises (account management, such as creating custom, WAP-based menu screens for their own users), operators can use the mobile user interface to attract and retain key market segments. As the mobile user interface becomes more sophisticated, users will be more reluctant to change carriers, as that could require retraining and even modifying custom applications.
The mobile user interface also represents an opportunity for mobile virtual network operators (MVNO). These are firms such as Virgin in the UK that offer mobile phone service to specific market segments (e.g., youth) by purchasing airtime from existing operators on a wholesale basis. Thus, MVNOs could buy airtime wholesale and develop their own mobile user interface to differentiate their service from the infrastructure operator's service.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONTENT CREATORS AND DISTRIBUTORS
Content producers and distributors are unlikely to exert much control over the mobile user interface, but working closely with those who do is key to success in the emerging wireless multimedia market.
However, we believe there is a major opportunity for a relatively new category of player, the wireless content aggregator. These are vendors who will identify, obtain, reformat (if needed), and stream content to wireless users working closely with specific operators.
It's likely that content aggregators will set up streaming servers within the wireless operators' networks, ensuring that the content is brought as close to subscribers as possible, and work closely with mobile operators to ensure smooth handling of cell handoffs.
Due to cost and capacity issues, mobile operators are likely to offer streaming music and short video clips at first. Thus, content aggregators must make decisions about which content and formats to use.
Individual content aggregators don't need to control the mobile user interface, but there are things they could do to lock-in relationships, such as controlling both the server and client software, and perhaps putting software hooks in the mobile device operating system.
Cartoons and synthesized music will play a big role at first, as they do not require as much data as digitized music and video. Content aggregators can jump-start the market by choosing (or contracting for) the right content for mobile users. We believe watching short cartoons could be a big application, and with the right client-server software should not require much more bandwidth than a voice call.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS
There are opportunities for software developers to develop the mobile user interface, enhance it, and exploit it with applications that take full advantage of its power. The mobile user interface is likely to make much more use of a variety of input/output techniques than desktop PCs or even standalone PDAs.
Thus, there will be opportunities for software developers that can make use of not just keypad input and display output, but also voice recognition, handwriting recognition, text-to-speech, and radio locating.
This will require the ability to develop applications that are unusual in that they are three- and even four-dimensional. For example, mobile data applications that can deliver enterprise data to either a screen or an earpiece. As we argue in our report Mobile Voice Portals, this opens the door to truly ubiquitous applications -- applications that can be reached from a mobile data device, a mobile phone, or any fixed phone.
There will also be opportunities for adapting popular desktop applications to mobile environments, as well as making sure that popular mobile applications can be used on as many mobile devices as possible.
Wireless ASPs will deliver services and client software over the air. Mobile users are more likely to make impulse buys of applications and content, and ASPs could find more success in the 3G wireless market than they have found on the Internet at large.
It's important that the mobile user interface be flexible -- giving application developers and remote service providers the ability to create pioneering offerings. Not only should device manufacturers define and promote a limited set of user interfaces, they should define different modes within each interface. The ability to switch smoothly between modes will make it possible to jump from an on-screen menu to a music clip, back to a voice-based interaction, and finally on to a video conference.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE FUTURE MOBILE USER INTERFACE 8
- OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVICE MANUFACTURERS 20
- OPPORTUNITIES FOR SERVICE PROVIDERS 27
- OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONTENT CREATORS AND DISTRIBUTORS 28
- OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS 29
- KEY CONCLUSIONS 31
THE MOBILE USER INTERFACE 36
- EVOLUTION OF MOBILE USER INTERFACES 36
- MOBILE INPUT DEVICES 38
- STANDARDISATION OF MOBILE USER INTERFACES 39
MOBILE OPERATING SYSTEM 43
- CHALLENGES FOR MOBILE OPERATING SYSTEMS 43
- CHALLENGES FOR MOBILE APPLICATIONS 44
- CONNECTION CONTINUITY 45
- BATTERY LIFE 45
- MEMORY 45
- PROCESSING POWER 46
- USER INTERFACE 46
- THE MOBILE OS MARKETPLACE 46
MOBILE INPUT/OUTPUT DEVICES 52
- INPUT 52
- KEYPAD 52
- Voice 54
- TOUCH SCREEN 55
- PERIPHERALS 56
- Conclusion 59
- OUTPUT 60
- AUDIO 60
- Alphanumeric & graphical displays 61
- PERIPHERALS 62
- Conclusion 66
MODEL FOR WIRELESS INTERNET 68
- WAP VERSUS I-MODE 72
- USER EXPERIENCES 76
- ROLE OF STANDARDS 83
- CONTENT 83
- WAP VERSUS I-MODE TECHNOLOGY 87
- I-MODE SUCCESS OUTSIDE JAPAN 94
- I-MODE AND 3G 97
- CONCLUSIONS 99
WIRELESS PERSONAL AREA NETWORKS 101
SESSION INITIATION PROTOCOL (SIP) 108
NOKIA'S USER INTERFACE CATEGORIES 116
MICRO-DISPLAYS 124
- MICRO-DISPLAY TECHNOLOGIES 124
- Passive matrix LCD 125
- Active matrix LCD 126
- Organic light emitting display (OLED) 126
- MARKET AND TECHNOLOGY EVOLUTION FORECAST 130
VENDOR PROFILES 132
- IXI MOBILE, INC. 133
- Overview 133
- Revenue model 133
- Customers & partners 133
- Products and services 134
- DYNAMICSOFT, INC. 135
- Overview 135
- Revenue model 135
- Customers & partners 135
- Products and services 136
- AIR2WEB, INC. 137
- Overview 137
- Revenue model 137
- Customers & partners 137
- Products & services 138
- AVANTGO INC. 139
- Overview 139
- Revenue model 139
- Customers & partners 140
- Products & services 140
- AIRMEDIA 142
- Overview 142
- Revenue model 142
- Customers & partners 142
- Products & services 142
- AVIDWIRELESS 144
- Introduction 144
- Revenue model 144
- Customers & partners 144
- Products & services 145
- CYBIRD CO., LTD. 146
- Introduction 146
- Revenue model 146
- Customers & partners 146
- Products & services 146
- FUNMAIL 147
- Introduction 147
- Revenue model 147
- Customers & partners 147
- Products & services 148
- GEEPS 149
- Introduction 149
- Revenue model 149
- Customers & partners 149
- Products & services 150
- HUDSON SOFT CO. 151
- Introduction 151
- Revenue model 151
- Customers & partners 151
- Products & services 151
- JAMDAT MOBILE 153
- Introduction 153
- Revenue model 153
- Customers & partners 153
- Products & services 153
- KADA SYSTEMS INC. 155
- Introduction 155
- Revenue model 155
- Customers & partners 155
- Products & services 156
- KIVERA INC. 157
- Introduction 157
- Revenue model 157
- Customers & partners 157
- Products & services 157
- MOBILEQ 158
- Introduction 158
- Revenue model 158
- Customers & partners 158
- Products & services 158
- PIXO, INC. 160
- Introduction 160
- Revenue model 160
- Customers & partners 160
- Products & services 160
- SKYGO 162
- Introduction 162
- Revenue model 162
- Customers & partners 162
- Products & services 163
- SNAPTRACK, INC. 164
- Introduction 164
- Revenue model 164
- Customers & partners 164
- Products & services 165
- STREETBEAM INC. 166
- Introduction 166
- Revenue model 166
- Customers & partners 166
- Products & services 166
- UNPLUGGED GAMES 168
- Introduction 168
- Revenue model 168
- Customers & Partners 168
- Products & services 168
- VERBALTEK INC. 170
- Introduction 170
- Revenue model 170
- Customers & partners 170
- Products & services 170
- VINDIGO, INC. 172
- Introduction 172
- Revenue model 172
- Customers & partners 172
- Products & services 173
- WINDWIRE 174
- Introduction 174
- Revenue model 174
- Customers & Partners 174
- Products & services 175
DISPLAY VENDOR PROFILES 176
- CANDESCENT TECHNOLOGIES CORP. 176
- Introduction 176
- Revenue model 176
- Customers & Partners 177
- Products & services 177
- DISPLAYTECH, INC. 178
- Introduction 178
- Revenue model 178
- Customers & partners 178
- Products & services 178
- E INK CORP. 180
- Introduction 180
- Customers & Partners 180
- Products & services 181
- EMAGIN CORPORATION 182
- Introduction 182
- Revenue model 182
- Customers & partners 182
- Products & services 183
- IRIDIGM 184
- Introduction 184
- Products & services 184
- KOPIN CORP. 185
- Introduction 185
- Revenue model 185
- Customers & partners 185
- Products & services 186
- MICROOPTICAL CORP. 187
- Introduction 187
- Customers & partners 187
- Products & services 187
- RITEK CORP. 188
- Introduction 188
- Customers & partners 188
- Products & services 188
- THREE-FIVE SYSTEMS, INC. 189
- Introduction 189
- Revenue model 189
- Customers & partners 189
- Products & services 189
- UNIAX CORP. 191
- Introduction 191
- Customers & partners 191
- Products & services 191
- UNIVERSAL DISPLAY CORP. 193
- Introduction 193
- Revenue model 193
- Customers & partners 193
- Products & services 193
- ZIGHT CORP. 195
- Introduction 195
- Revenue model 195
- Customers & partners 195
- Products & services 196
LIST OF TABLES
- TABLE 1: FACTORS DRIVING/INHIBITING EVOLUTION OF MOBILE USER INTERFACE
- TABLE 2: POTENTIAL HANDHELD CONSUMERS DEVICES
- TABLE 3: POTENTIAL HANDHELD WORKGROUP DEVICES
- TABLE 4: POTENTIAL HANDHELD MOBILE PROFESSIONAL DEVICES
- TABLE 5: POTENTIAL HANDHELD MEDICAL DEVICES
- TABLE 6: MOBILE USER INTERFACE SOLUTIONS
- TABLE 7: COMPARISON OF MAJOR MOBILE OPERATING SYSTEMS
- TABLE 8: COMPARISON OF DATA INPUT TECHNOLOGIES
- TABLE 9: COMPARISON OF DATA OUTPUT TECHNOLOGIES
- TABLE 10: NTT DOCOMO'S PERFORMANCE
- TABLE 11: NTT DOCOMO VS. NORTH AMERICAN/EUROPEAN OPERATORS
- TABLE 12: COMPARISON OF LATEST MICRO-DISPLAY TECHNOLOGIES
LIST OF FIGURES
- FIGURE 1: MOBILE PHONE SUBSCRIBER GROWTH IN JAPAN
- FIGURE 2: MAJOR I-MODE APPLICATIONS
- FIGURE 3: WAP NETWORK ARCHITECTURE
- FIGURE 4: SIP-POWERED HANDSET
- FIGURE 5 NOKIA'S USER INTERFACE CATEGORIES
