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Did apple start the "Touch Screen Phone" Revolution?

buymeaniphone

buymeaniphone

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 8, 2007
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San Antonio, Texas
I know it might seem pretty presumptuous to assume that Apple was the first to ignite the Touch Screen phone movement, but does it seem weird to anyone else that all of a sudden theres quite a bit of new slim glossy full touch screen smart phones in the market now? Yes I know it takes months and years to do the R&D to create a phone, but I'm just wondering if maybe other companies got a wiff of what Apple was cooking and decided to try to beat them to the punch. I'm sure its all a coincidence, but I'd like to hear what every one else thinks.
 
No. I was on my Verizon XV6700 Windows Smartphone w/ touchscreen long before I had heard anything about the iPhone. And mine definitely wasn't the first mainstream touchscreen.
 
I think it's just a case of simultaneous development. The iPhone has a very complex OS compared to phones such as the LG Prada.
 
Would not the Palm Treo phones be considered touch screen? But I think the OP is right that there seem to be more designed suspiciously like the iPhone/LG Prada phone. I can't remember the name, but I remember seeing one that looked like a blatent rip-off...
 
bartelby said:
I think it's just a case of simultaneous development. The iPhone has a very complex OS compared to phones such as the LG Prada.
Click to expand...

the thing is, a complex OS with such few functions and so limited 3rd party apps, make me wonder if putting a strip down OSX in there is because apple is too lazy or dumb to make a new lighter system.

for OP, Apple did not INVENT any new tech with iPhone, but Apple did ignite the trend like it always does with its fabulous PR.
 
Keep in mind, the critical difference between the iPhone and other existing touch-screen phones is the multi-touch. That's really where the UI is going to shine in comparison, because it allows for a lot of neat modes of input. I personally think multi-touch on a large desktop computer screen would be even cooler, at least for certain operations.
 
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killmoms said:
Keep in mind, the critical difference between the iPhone and other existing touch-screen phones is the multi-touch. That's really where the UI is going to shine in comparison, because it allows for a lot of neat modes of input. I personally think multi-touch on a large desktop computer screen would be even cooler, at least for certain operations.
Click to expand...

Exactly.... imagine using Omnigraffle (first one that comes to mind) with multitouch :eek:
 
I think the big key difference that hasn't been mentioned yet is the lack of need for a stylus. I've had numerous PDA's and I have to say the stylus is the one thing that has always annoyed me.

Multi-touch is definitely a breakthrough, but for me using my fingers to do all tasks seems like the best advantage over ALL other organizer/pda touchscreens available to date (and finger-interaction based gps navigation systems don't count- they only serve 1 purpose).

It will be interesting to see if apple introduces the "Stylus Free" touchscreen phone movement, because I'd definitely be one to argue they are FOR SURE starting a new era of interactive devices!
 
dont get me wrong here I'd love an iphone, but just wait n see how annoying touch screens are. I've used them before and they get SO dirty hehe......always greasy from your fingers and I dont think im a greasy person..
 
As usual, no, Apple may not have invented it, but the implementation is what makes it good. It's the way Apple does it. If it works as well as it looked during the presentation, it deserves all the hype it gets.
 
djsound said:
dont get me wrong here I'd love an iphone, but just wait n see how annoying touch screens are. I've used them before and they get SO dirty hehe......always greasy from your fingers and I dont think im a greasy person..
Click to expand...

My touchscreen phone is very good at resisting greasy fingerprints, I'm pretty impressed by it.
 
MisterMe said:
How do you dial regular phones?
Click to expand...

But regular phones don't have a touchscreen and therefore it doesn't matter so much if the button has a smudge as it does if your screen has a huge smug across it, as it'll mess up your view.

I think that Apple would have thought of this and done something to help prevent smudging, but who knows.
 
It was Handspring(now Palm) who had one of the first touch screen phones(I think). However, HTC is the one that moved it really forward, with just having devices that are touch only.
 
bloodycape said:
It was Handspring(now Palm) who had one of the first touch screen phones(I think). However, HTC is the one that moved it really forward, with just having devices that are touch only.
Click to expand...

Still, if you want to get anything done on those phones besides calling someone (even to this day), you will either need the keyboard buttons or a stylus. Apple has eliminated both of these extra things completely from the iPhone interface. Just use your fingers... "Who wants a stylus?" :)
 
umm what about the newton and the like sim card adaptor that allowed you to email on the go?

Wasnt that pretty much the first touch screen item that fitted in your pocket (However big that pocket was)
 
jwa276 said:
Still, if you want to get anything done on those phones besides calling someone (even to this day), you will either need the keyboard buttons or a stylus. Apple has eliminated both of these extra things completely from the iPhone interface. Just use your fingers... "Who wants a stylus?" :)
Click to expand...

I personally rather use an actual keyboard/thumboard than a full on screen keyboard(like the iphone). I rarely use a stylus but it can be useful once in a while.
 
bloodycape said:
I personally rather use an actual keyboard/thumboard than a full on screen keyboard(like the iphone). I rarely use a stylus but it can be useful once in a while.
Click to expand...

Same here. On my XV6700 I can use the slide out keyboard or the on-screen, and frankly the on-screen is a bit of a pain. I can practically use the qwerty slide out without looking, though even then my thumbs seem a bit too big sometimes.

I'm not a fan of Blackberries (administering a BES has really turned me off of them) but at least you can type one-handed on them and know you're not hitting the wrong key.
 
MULTI-Touchscreen. Big difference.

Quote:
Originally Posted by killmoms
Keep in mind, the critical difference between the iPhone and other existing touch-screen phones is the multi-touch. That's really where the UI is going to shine in comparison, because it allows for a lot of neat modes of input. I personally think multi-touch on a large desktop computer screen would be even cooler, at least for certain operations.
 
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