Nokia's "not enthusiastic" about touchscreens -- Apple, LG, and HTC say wha?

Nokia's General Manager of Mobile Devices, Antti Vasara, had some interesting things to say in an interview with Sweden's E24.SE this morning. Of course, the fact that the E90 ramp-up has begun is notable, especially if you happen to be reading this in Finland where the first shipments of the hotly anticipated communicator will rollout. However, what we found to be most enlightening is Nokia's take on the recent trend towards high-end touchscreen displays -- a la the LG Prada, HTC Touch, and Apple iPhone.

Antti claims that people don't like touchscreens and prefer keyboards and joysticks as their input devices. Of course it's true, people don't like using touchscreens for UIs built for a mouse and nothing beats a keyboard with plenty of tactile input for fast data entry. Still, as HTC recently demonstrated with TouchFLO, the combination of using your finger with a UI designed for the finger can be killer -- a lesson presumably not lost on the iPhone as well. Nevertheless, Antti does concede that Nokia is ready for touchscreens if they see the demand. In fact, Nokia "will be launching an entirely new type of mobile next year." Do tell Antti, do tell.

[Via Unwired View]

[Evan Brom @ Jun 11th 2007 12:35PM]

I have yet to use any of the aforementioned device but I like normal keys, much eiser to use with out looking or when plagued by larger fingers. Plus touch screens are fragile in comparison. Also I have always found Nokia to have a very user friendly UI, they don't need a touch screen. They just need more N.A. carriers.

[Dr. T @ Jun 11th 2007 12:37PM]

Looks like he's "not enthusiastic" about going to the dentist.

[David L. @ Jun 11th 2007 12:37PM]

Nokia was right about Benq-Siemens merge not working, maybe they are right again this time about touch screen .

[k0a10 @ Jun 11th 2007 12:38PM]

Too bad. The only reason I'm not buying an N95 is lack of touchscreen. Besides input, it's also nice to be able to draw, especially since you can easily organize or send drawings.

[Jon @ Jun 11th 2007 12:38PM]

Touchscreens are fine, but I do prefer keypads for date input, especially when travelling. Trying to use a stylus in a moving train or bus can be troublesome and I hate getting fingerprint on my screen.

Nokia, make a S60 phone with both touchscreen and keypad and I will buy it.

[anon @ Jun 11th 2007 12:47PM]

"S60 phone with both touchscreen and keypad"

you mean, like the SE M600/W950?

[andi @ Jun 11th 2007 1:18PM]

that's not s60, it's UIQ... and uiq

[Jay @ Jun 11th 2007 12:46PM]

Touchscreens are great when backed up with keys. All those insisting the iPhone's set up is better haven't even touched one yet, let alone used one.

[noob @ Jun 11th 2007 12:49PM]

wow look at that guys head! its HUGE! that forehead is like the size of texas.

[Spanky @ Jun 11th 2007 4:21PM]

he must be smart

[Dagad @ Jun 11th 2007 10:00PM]

More like fivehead!

ba-dum-bum-chishh

[BFish @ Jun 11th 2007 12:57PM]

Normal thing for Nokia to miss the trend. Took them couple of years to copy Moto Razr and just got it out. Same thing with missing clamshell models for years and trying to sell their bricks insetad ;)

[Darnell @ Jun 11th 2007 1:01PM]

Soooo. They're taking the wait and see approach.... Eh...

[andi @ Jun 11th 2007 1:04PM]

After some hands-on experience with the touchFlo, you'll notice something i sure did:

there's that snazzy-looking program that looks cool, but is merely a launcher

there-s the swipe scrolling option, which is the one cool thing about touchflo and should really be implemented more often.

after choosing an option from the launcher (a 3-sided 'cube' by the way, a poooooooor immitation of the desktop cube from Beryl, you'll end up in the same crappy WinMo programs

they claim they've enhanced touch recognition so you can use your thumb with precision... well.. it works for corner buttons, but in the start menu there's another story... no precision at all... and all the stylus-free nirvana fades when you have to actually type anything... then you have to bust the stylus out and do it in a very old-fashion way


if the E90 is too chubby, look at the E70... excellent keyboard, huge screen res, and all the features you'd want (GPS set aside)... but it's butt ugly :)

[Hank Cazorp @ Jun 11th 2007 1:11PM]

Clearly he's concerned about scratching the surface with his Nosferatu claws.

[Ivan Kisic @ Jun 11th 2007 1:25PM]

When a smartphone has a touchscreen it's a PDA. And as far as i know, Nokia does not make PDAs (except that benq uiq thingy).

[MIKE @ Jun 11th 2007 1:50PM]

Timmy!!!

[drew Eastman @ Jun 11th 2007 2:40PM]

you are sooooo right man .. it is Timmy !!!!

[tekdroid @ Jun 11th 2007 2:00PM]

To benefit from a touchscreen in a phone, you need a relatively big display. 99% of phones sold don't come with one.

(and a large display works against the compactness of a phone)

I think that puts Antii's comments in context.

[burnblue @ Jun 12th 2007 2:01AM]

Not my phone (Pocket PC). Hold i in the palm of one hand, operate it with thumb of same hand. If I want to send a text or something though, I do slide out the keyboard.

[7710-user @ Jun 11th 2007 2:55PM]

I loved the nokia 7710. Huge resolution for its size (640x320) inface the new communicator will be the first nokia to beat it. The UI was Series90 (later renamed series7710) and I thought it was great. Its a shame it felt like a first gen phone. If they re-released with 3g, wifi, bluetooth2 and a much faster processor.. I'd kill to have one.. I truely loved that phone.. Had a SE p900 and p910. the lack of "multitasking" made it terrible. The fact it did actually multi task but they tried to cover up the fact made it even worse.. Series 90 ruled.. roll the touch screen into S60 then make a touch screen s60.. gaddamit!

[Naranek @ Jun 11th 2007 2:58PM]

The name is Antti Vasara, not Antii. It shouldn't be that hard.

[xbit @ Jun 11th 2007 3:17PM]

It's hard to make a decent phone with a touchscreen. Phones by their very nature are one handed devices. Touchscreens require two hands - one to hold the stylus (or act as the stylus) and one hand to hold the device. Nokia understand this. Sony Ericsson understand this. However, I think there's a growing number of manufacturers who don't understand this.

All of HTC's creations require extreme digital dexterity to be used one-handed. Sony Ericsson just about managed it on their P-series via a flip, scroll wheel and a myriad of buttons - but it's still pretty clunky.

My prediction: Everyone will copy Apple. The fad will last 6-12 months and then everyone will realise the folly of their ways. Nokia will continue to sell 1+ million phones a day.

[Logik @ Jun 11th 2007 5:11PM]

We will someday go to touchscreen/gesture/speech interfaces, it's inevitable. It certainly will not be us that will be using these new technologies, but future generations will. Somebody that was taught to interface with a computer with a mouse and keyboard, of course, will find it more comfortable/"natural". What about all the kids today? They will certainly use new emerging technologies.

For example, my nephew. He's just two years old. I let him play around with my Treo the other day. I noticed that he played around with the buttons for a couple of minutes, but spent most of the time playing with the touchscreen. He launched the Pictures application and by using the touchscreen he re-arranged the pictures. He placed all the landscape pictures together, and all the automobile pictures together.

Well, I would think of it as very sad if, 10-15 years from today, we're still using a mouse and keyboard.

[luis @ Jun 11th 2007 5:13PM]

This sounds exactly like MOTOROLA a few years back said they where staying with analog because no one wanted digital for their cellphones. Bozos......

[Bisgedyn @ Jun 11th 2007 5:27PM]

Hang on...what about the Nokia n800 Internet Tablet???!!!

That works pretty well with a touchscreen.

[geezer07 @ Jun 11th 2007 6:07PM]

It is incorrect to say Nokia is just waiting and behind in this area. Nokia has for years been out with several lines of touch screen models, such as the Series 90 (touch screen Symbian UI) -based 7700 modles, e.g., http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_7710-921.php, Kanji-stylus China-market models (3108, 6108, 6708), the Linux-based Internet Tablets such as 770 and 800, or some more recent concept models (Nokia Aeon), all featuring different variations of touch screen or touch pad UIs.

[Jeff Lewis @ Jun 11th 2007 6:40PM]

Two words:

Side Talking.

Two other words:

Nokia Taco.

The problem with Nokia is that they're run very top down with a LOT of insulation between the layers. So some exec at the top gets this idea - and basically he says 'make me one' and they do.

Most memorable comment by the executive who came up with the first version of the nGage: "We've shown it around, we've taken all the advice we're going to - we're going to ship it."

And look how well THAT worked...

[bonzo77 @ Jun 11th 2007 11:15PM]

The issue you describe has nothing to do with touch screen technology or defining products top-down. Had Nokia launched the iPhone it would have received the sidetalkin' treatment (fugly candybar, no buttons, can't change battery, EDGE and not EV-DO, what were they thinking..). There are two reasons, Nokia's lack of skill in propaganda/marketing wars in the web and tech media, and the increasingly dogmatic dumbing-down of the new media and the blogosphere that favors trivialized marketing arguments pushed by the select few companies who master that game. iPhone is the first Paris Hilton mania of the tech media.

[TrulyTropical @ Jun 11th 2007 7:57PM]

So sick and tired of the boring old Nokia. First they started the whole righteous crusade against Qualcomm - on behalf of the WHOLE INDUSTRY. What a crock of bull. Qualcomm is not even a direct competitor. Nokia is only pissed because their real competitors - MOTO, Samsung, LG, and HTC are catching up and taking away Nokia's marketshare using Qualcomm's technology. And now this little pearl of wisdom. Good strategy, Nokia. If you can't beat them, smear them. God what a sad bunch of Finnish bumpkins.

[kingu @ Jun 11th 2007 8:57PM]

I do believe that the finnish method of approach is to drink the competition under the table and conduct some industrial espionage.

[Finney @ Jun 12th 2007 3:24AM]

Get your facts straight. Nokia is increasing their market share. Just wait for the next quarter report, they've already addressed a positive profit warning.

[kingu @ Jun 11th 2007 8:17PM]

That guy doesnt seem to get enthusiastic about anyhing else than console with a DWORAK input device

[Unregistered @ Jun 11th 2007 8:27PM]

Nokia also dismissed clamshell-design phones back then, and later kicked itself for losing much market share to Samsung's clamshells. It now produces clamshell phones as well.

[Atanas Boev @ Jun 12th 2007 2:51AM]

Yes, people don't like touch screens. People like big fat phones, with slow response time. Actually, people prefer having portable multimedia computers, instead of phones.

[Poopyshooz4u @ Jun 12th 2007 11:13AM]

I don't get all the hype about touchscreens.

They've been around for decades and if they really were great for data input then you would have seen them used for keyboards already. Fact is, they are great for selecting icons in an interface, but they suck for typing.