Mobile Device Evaluation Criteria
Mobil phones, PDAs, smart phones and other portable communication devices are important tools in contemporary daily life. Determining if a particular mobile device is right for you means evaluating it based on the criteria that are most pertinent to your usage. Professional reviewers, users and product developers use standard evaluation criteria to rate and improve various mobile devices.
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Service and Coverage
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The service packages available with a given mobile device are often the top criteria for evaluating it. Some cellular companies are stronger in one area over another. The coverage offered in the places you are the most needs to be strong and consistent. Geographical considerations need to be made, as one company may dominate in a particular state and be almost absent in another. In addition to cellular phone service, signal strength and data network availability are key criteria when evaluating mobile devices such as netbooks and PDAs. More often than not, companies claim wider, stronger coverage than users experience.
User Interface
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Text input and menu navigation are two aspects of the user experience that are used by consumers and researchers to evaluate mobile devices. Text input is an evolving project for mobile devices. Standard number pads have to have some means of letting users select from among the letters and punctuation marks assigned to each key. Word recognition is another service that assists users with text input by attempting to recognize the word they are typing. Whether a device uses touch screen technology or manual buttons is another issue that users must evaluate. Some disabilities or health conditions, such as arthritis, may make one or the other preferable. Menu navigation ought to be instinctive and simple. Icons, lists or desktop folders are methods of organizing options on the small screen of a mobile device.
Design
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Design evaluation criteria addresses the comfort and convenience of a device's shape, weight and handling. Also consider how a device's screen handles web design. Screen size and orientation make a difference in how a device will perform basic Internet functions. Visit the website you normally use, including maps and e-mail, to evaluate the design of a device and its convenience.
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Related Searches
References
- ZDnet: Blog, Reminder of the top three buying criteria for your next cell phone: Coverage, coverage, and coverage
- Webcredible: 7 usability guidelines for websites on mobile devices
- UX Magazine: Mobile User Experience Trends on the Horizon
- University of Canterbury: An Evaluation of Mobile Phone Text Input Methods by Lee Butts and Andy Cockburn (PDF)
Resources
- Photo Credit mobile phone image by green308 from Fotolia.com
