Ideas & Opinions, Products & Services

The award for most important feature in a web browsing device goes to…

By Mike on 11 August 2009

GLOBAL – Wait, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First things first. Last week we tasked you with voting for what you reckon is the most important feature in a web browsing device – a subject that sparked heaps of interest, so thanks to all 461 of you that voted. Plus, many of you keenly contributed to a stack of great comments on topic (one reader even winning our coveted comment of the week award last week).

Now without further ado or any more teasers, read on to find out the results of our latest poll.

The “all of the above” option secured the most votes with 32% (a catch-all option that included the following hardware features: “big screen”, “Flash support”, “high speed connectivity”, “keyboard” and “touch”). Of course, the “all of the above” option proves that the combination of these features are important to you, and rightly so, but we were keen to nail it down to one thing. That single feature, and top of the list was a “big screen” with 19% of the vote. With that in mind, do you think there is there a minimum size for a pocket big screen when it comes to quality mobile web browsing? What’s the threshold in your opinion? I’d side with the Nokia E71 as the ideal ’small’ big screen for on-the-move web-spinning, but keen to get your thoughts.

Next up is “high speed connectivity”, landing 15% of the vote, closely followed by “other answer” at 13%, which triggered some solid alternatives that we hadn’t listed in our poll, including “fast page rendering and navigation” and “anywhere connectivity”.

“Flash support” was next in line with 7%, followed by “touch” with 6% and “web apps” and “keyboard” each commanding 3% of the vote. Leaving “widgets” and “web services” bringing up the rear.

As ever, scribble down your opinions and reactions to these results in the comments section below.

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Arthur Says:
August 11th, 2009 at 1:06 pm

To me the E71’s screen size and resolution are way too small. Annoyingly so! I had it for a while and I couldn’t get used to it. The N97’s screen is more like it.

I’d be willing to have a physically larger device in order to have a nice big screen. The E90 was perfect for me.

Lloyd Says:
August 11th, 2009 at 8:10 pm

The problem with doing surveys like this is they truly aren’t “scientific” and the statistics rendered are not the best to go by. That aside, giving the users the option to include “all the above” will lead the respondent (me included) to say, “I want it all and I want it now” as opposed to truly saying what would make them buy a web browsing device.

Why did I get the N97? A large screen with touch screen abilities. Would I have gotten the device had it not had touch abilities? No. Why?

Using that old Kano model we all know that touch and large screens used to fall under, “More is better” or “Nice to have.” But the world of smartphones has changed. We expect them to be fast and have large screens so our maturing eyes can see. If they don’t we’re not satisfied. Apple changed the marketplace with the touch enabled iPhone. Had they made the toy (oops, I mean phone) available for multiple carriers then today’s smartphone market would be even less diversified. Everyone would be the also-rans.

So if I were to vote again today? My choice would be “Other” as I would want a combination of large touch screen with fast speed. It’s what’s expected in a smartphone.

Sasan Says:
August 11th, 2009 at 9:44 pm

The Only thing i knew here is that there are many small problems with nokia’s today phones, one of the most important prob’s is the speed and quality of the webpage renders! i think it’s related to the good old fashion CPU’s that nokia still love to use them, why? i don’t know, may be it’s economical part, but in my opinion, N95’s cpu and n82 too, were one of the best ones, in loading the web content, they were on demand and speedy in real words, not just in tv commercials!! and they were for those days, well! today we need more nokia! but any way, i knew, that i want big screen (also good color quality), fast, great, 3d, new UI quality and new concepts (new worked concepts, not copying old phones context to new phones, it starts to bothering me when i get a new nokia old s60 style is getting mmore and more boring! ok? we need more graphics and interface, like the iphone gives people! actually it’s more amazing!), (wohoow! that’s too much!), fast operation responses(in reality, like the iphone’s), and at last sleekness, not creeky parts after a week or two of buy, and so … on. if you try to concentrate on these points, you’ll find a good way through, at least i feel like this.
the end.

Sasan Says:
August 11th, 2009 at 9:51 pm

I like Nokia N97 very much but i got a N86, and i can’t pay for n97 agian, but one of my friends have one.
Actually when i slide (tilt or any thing!) out the keyboard, i feel that the interface is too little! Icons got big but the interface is still little! no complexity that most computer (actually windows users) are used too, isn’t there and it starts to get boring fast enough to make me re-evaluate my decision of buying this phone! it happend 2-3 times for me, just want to make you know! but still Nokia n97 is a good jub any way!
Thanks.

Mike Says:
August 11th, 2009 at 10:01 pm

As Lloyd has stated a large screen size is important for those of us who are “more mature”. I currently use an E71 and find the screen to be just a bit too small for extended use. My N95 screen was just enough larger to be more comfortable but the lack of a QWERTY keyboard sent me to the E71…the N97 was not available at that time.