When Smartphones became popular, there were two main types that dominated the market: Touchscreen devices and widgets with a QWERTY keyboard. Every interface design has its advantages and disadvantages. With a touchscreen device, surfing the World Wide Web is more convenient. Users can often type without looking and correcting typos is often easier with a keyboard. smartphones with touchscreens have penetrated the market, mainly because their interface design is appealing to a wide range of people as you can comfortably surf in the internet, play games and edit photos. RIM (Research in Motion) is currently manufacturing a new blackberry with a new interface design to get back their position on the market.
The company’s share price has dropped 90% since 2008. It’s time to change the strategy. There will be two devices with a different interface design: one with a touchscreen and one with the QWERTY keyboard. This could be working as the interface design of blackberry devices is especially known to be suitable for business men. It has a longer battery service life and it is popular to be safer than comparable programs by Apple or Google. These are only two features the company might also apply on the new blackberry touchscreen device.
According to the BBC’s technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones, the interface design of the new device will enable its users to navigate between different applications without returning to a home screen. Returning to a home screen is the famous content management of Apple.
It remains to be seen, if RIM’s new strategy to improve their interface design in spots where Apple is weak and copy them where they are performing well is going to be successful. Instead of launching the product by the end of this year as it was planned by the company, the device only comes into the market in January. This means it will miss the important Christmas shopping period.
