[vrp]

Computer Science Master's student Analysis: UI looks amazing, if this is what they are planning to deliver.. good that they did something different and still follows the usecases of most of the current BB/android/iphone users. I want to explain it in terms of some laws which we use in Information Retrieval.

If you go to Android , the number of widgets you can add in the first screen will be around 4-5 or may be less. I dont know whether iphone allows widgets? In my case, I have added the shortcut of gmail, googletalk and maps in the main home screen. But I rarely customize my homescreen, though I wish facebook and to-do app would have automatically come to my main screen without my intentional customization. This is applicable for all those users who generally customize things once during their device learning curve and leave it for ever, not because they are happy with that but they dont want to spend time for that. And, 85% of mobile users are like me.

But I do agree we need some kind of customization in the home screen to avoid those apps which we dont want to show it to others like any porn app ... :P .. I think, they should be allowing that .. just few hours of a programming thingy.

Secondly, we all follow Zipf's law. It means, we finally converge to a 5-7% app list which we always use. For example, in ipod we have thousands of song. But the one we always listen will be from a range of 10-100. So it is always handy to easily access the most frequent apps which we use.

So why not 10 -100 apps in home screen?? According to Millers law(The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two: Some Limits on Our Capacity for Processing Information), number of objects an average human can hold in working memory is 5 to 9. Argument 1: even though you have some apps for special purpose, you always dont remember you have installed it. You always go for google Search . Argument 2:
Most of the human are in the range of remembering 5-7 objects. So it is always good to have a small number of apps in the homescreen to easily glance and select it rather than many.

'Live Tiles of WP7'- The Live Tiles on Start show you what's happening with your apps, your upcoming appointments, your social networks, and more. Get a quick weather update, find out when someone likes your Facebook post, and see how many calls you missed during your afternoon run. - If you see the other leaked images of BB10, it shows you always have all the updates handy which ever screen you are , just by a gesture. Moreover, it is using the push technology for these apps and hence battery performance will be better than the pull technology of WP7. But , still I am skeptical about live tiles. It is a simple waste of battery though it looks fancy initially. I think, if they allow live tile, they should better be customizable to show the updates or not. I have my GPS and wifi for my android always on 'off' mode, to save battery on go. The most important thing is to get all the important core messages/communication with a single gesture. If they can manage to bring all those leaked images to BB10, then I would say they can claim BB10 is for successful people. They did a good amount of research in human usecases.

All the other non-frequent apps seems to be available in a single gesture usecase, so not a big worry as it is same as in iphone or android. Also, it looks like the famous BB search option is available in the home screen. That is powerful and what is needed for most of the users. I would also like to see a GPS, Wifi on/off feature directly in homescreen..not as a tile, but something like the one in Playbook. BB7 was my official phone when I was working earlier. Now, I am waiting to get over my personal android contract to grab a BB10 once it is launched. I am not saying android is bad, it helped me a lot in my student life. I did developed some health and game apps for that. But after seeing the Cascades UI framework, I am highly impressed and will be rewriting those apps for BB10. BB10 seems better support my daily usecases than android if 'they deliver'.

I am little worried on how RIM is handled by Wallstreet. Totally unfair! It all started with those open letters, Playbook and lot of paid articles against RIM by competitors. RIM really looked naive in this area. Playbook should have been released after 2.0 version , even it is too late. Once users has a perspective that PB 1.0 is a failure, it is hard to convince that PB 2.0 is far better. So I would recommend , even if they dont release BB10 in fall, make sure what they release is complete as shown in the leaked images. Good luck!

[Zizzzzy]

I didn't buy a Playbook even at discounted price due to lack of apps. Specially the Skype. I can't think of a one reason why I should waste my money one touch screen BB 10 when I can get a Samsung Galaxy III!

Sent from BlackBerry Bold 9900

Forget the 'Like' button, what this site really needs is a 'Dyck Punch' button.

[Chrisy]

I love everything the images and I know I'll end up getting the full touch and the qwerty bb10!

I don't mind only 4 tiles on the front. On my Android I could only fit that many widgets. I like having my most used apps on the home screen though.

I so glad to see all these images and it makes me confident that this is a new Research In Motion that we are seeing!

[BBPandy]

Guys !!! did you notice that blackberry 10 has viber in the third picture finally blackberry 10 is my next phone its amazing but i really need your opinion guys should get the all touch bb10 or wait for the physical keyboard because i love the qwerty keyboard buti simply cant wait !!!!

Yea I noticed that too...was going to make a thread post about it, but didn't have time & I thought someone else would do it....your the first person ive seen mention it...

[gtpointer]

That clock app might save CB Kevin $500 when he gets his BB10 device...

[BBPandy]

That clock app might save CB Kevin $500 when he gets his BB10 device...

lol
This Clock is even better looking then his $500 Clock.......Bet he would pay $1,000 for this one

[trinichindian]

Yea I noticed that too...was going to make a thread post about it, but didn't have time & I thought someone else would do it....your the first person ive seen mention it...

Coming to a BB10 near you

Viber | Free calls, free voip, free phone calls from iPhone and Android

[ssbtech]

You actually think that Apple invented app icons laid out in a grid?

No, but they did implant the idea that there should be no organization of icons into the heads of millions of users, and now RIM seems to be following suit as demonstrated in PB OS2 and now BB10.

[peterallcdn]

Guys !!! did you notice that blackberry 10 has viber in the third picture finally blackberry 10 is my next phone its amazing but i really need your opinion guys should get the all touch bb10 or wait for the physical keyboard because i love the qwerty keyboard buti simply cant wait !!!!

Just to confirm what you saw in the picture, viber's faq page reads "BlackBerry: A version for Blackberry devices is in the works."

[Rootbrian]

I honestly cannot wait to see this feature on my next blackberry device. This is gonna rock the world!!

[husainpatan]

Forget the 'Like' button, what this site really needs is a 'Dyck Punch' button.

Hahaha...
So shall I dyck punch you now

[Thunderbuck]

How is swiping through unnamed, tabless pages of icons NOT Apple-like?

I was specifically referring to the clock, which shows some well-crafted design that's as clean as Apple's design language but goes in a different direction.

[BoldtotheMax]

I personally like the Playbook style phone better over the London. Cool leaked pic's though and RIM is definitely Heading in the right direction.

I will say, I am not huge on the whole Windows tile thing, but I won't make a final decision till I can play with one. I don't mind it, but don't care for it....

Good to see some innovation back at RIM. Been way to long and hear is hoping this time these phones fly off the shelf!



Sent from my HTC_Amaze_4G using Tapatalk 2

[mphillips828]

I personally like the Playbook style phone better over the London. Cool leaked pic's though and RIM is definitely Heading in the right direction.

I will say, I am not huge on the whole Windows tile thing, but I won't make a final decision till I can play with one. I don't mind it, but don't care for it....

Good to see some innovation back at RIM. Been way to long and hear is hoping this time these phones fly off the shelf!



Sent from my HTC_Amaze_4G using Tapatalk 2

two things...

1) i totally agree with you that the dev alpha design is much nicer than the london! so lets hope they keep a similar style for the first BB10 phone just maybe thinner and modifications...dont want that silver angled edged phone!

2) you said you are not a huge fan of the whole windows tile thing...well then you are in luck!! the BB10 does not use windows tiles at all!!! they are rectangle squares lol...but no seriously they are not tiles and nothing like windows tiles...they function similar to multitasking on a playbook but instead of large boxes side by side, they have made them shrink down in size and fit 4 to a page...so really these are your last 4 opened applications...and they actually are modified when they are minimized...so a weather app will minimize down into a quick "glance" tile allowing you the app to be running, but showing relevant info in a small screen instead of having to go in the app

yes, similar to tiles...but these are not constantly there like windows tiles...they are ur last 4 opened apps, and again are shrunken down files to display information in a smaller view, allowing for quick view of missed called, calendar events, weather and what song is currently playing...all on one screen with one view! its been on podcasts here on crackberry where the team explains the difference...may look similar but actually function much differently than windows tiles!

hope this helps!

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

[Blackberry_boffin]

two things...

1) i totally agree with you that the dev alpha design is much nicer than the london! so lets hope they keep a similar style for the first BB10 phone just maybe thinner and modifications...dont want that silver angled edged phone!

2) you said you are not a huge fan of the whole windows tile thing...well then you are in luck!! the BB10 does not use windows tiles at all!!! they are rectangle squares lol...but no seriously they are not tiles and nothing like windows tiles...they function similar to multitasking on a playbook but instead of large boxes side by side, they have made them shrink down in size and fit 4 to a page...so really these are your last 4 opened applications...and they actually are modified when they are minimized...so a weather app will minimize down into a quick "glance" tile allowing you the app to be running, but showing relevant info in a small screen instead of having to go in the app

yes, similar to tiles...but these are not constantly there like windows tiles...they are ur last 4 opened apps, and again are shrunken down files to display information in a smaller view, allowing for quick view of missed called, calendar events, weather and what song is currently playing...all on one screen with one view! its been on podcasts here on crackberry where the team explains the difference...may look similar but actually function much differently than windows tiles!

hope this helps!

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

Yeah.
Judging from the PB, the QNX based OS is a beast at multi-tasking. This is RIM just making good use of that.
If you have seen the stuff crackberry posted, the so-called tiles are just your last four used apps (or stuff you pinned there) they just happen to be in a grid that 'looks' like tiles. This is said to be the landing page when you wake the device. I'm willing to bet my BB10 phone they will be fully live so if that is what is called tiles nowadays then yes they are tiles.
Also according to crackberry, this is one of the three 'tabs' that includes
1) All Apps (yeah same old, same old)
2) This landing tab (with the so-called tiles)
3) The messaging app (the eternal BlackBerry secret weapon).
Also I hear, the messaging app never shuts down (which is kinda like BBOS anyway) which is cool as on the PB it is unduly slow to launch, but now you can "peak" at it by dragging the screen left just to preview what is in your inbox and then release to exit.

However I love the way the incoming call was answered with gestures/swipes in one of the BB10 demo videos. It was sooo cool.

[kdna]

i know i am reviving this thread, but the screenshots of the functionality are really interesting.

[BennyX]

The UI is very similar to iOS, so I agree with you on that.
As for the tab bar...I think Android was the first to have that.
iOS has always had that top bar that displays time, signal, etc.
But Android was the first to make it a pull-down bar and all that good stuff.

Which is why I don't think BB10 will really do all that well.
We already have iPhone & Android. People are just going to think Blackberry
is copying them. But that's just my opinion lol.

One could go even further back and see that devices running Windows Mobile had the same top bar displaying signal, time, and other things. It also had a grid of icons (without windows, if you used a customization app or something like HTC's Touchflo-enabled phones).

iPhone and Android took a lot of what worked from the WM age.... but there was plenty of inspiration to be found in earlier devices, even.

[BennyX]

You actually think that Apple invented app icons laid out in a grid?

Click to view quoted image

In the handheld world, Apple had icons in a grid far before RIM had even released their first Blackberry. But if you want to trace the origins of icons-in-a-grid on a handheld device... the first would technically would be the Dynabook, conceived by Alan Kay in 1968... but it took 20 years for the hardware to get to the point where it was possible to implement his ideas. Instead, his graphical interface ideas were implemented in the Xerox Alto at Xerox PARC in the early 70's, and thats where Apple and Microsoft got their ideas for a windowed interface with icons and mouse.

But in terms of commercially available handhelds that sported the icon-in-a-grid scheme, the Sharp Wizard and Sharp Zaurus lines were probably first. Then the Tandy Zoomer (which ran GEOS, an OS with icons). The Apple Newton was third. Then came Palm (though they also had a hand in Tandy being second), HP was probably fifth (there may be others), with their Omnigo 100 PDA in 1995. Psion was sixth, with their Series 5 device in 1997. Windows CE/Mobile devices likely were seventh... there was even a cool looking tablet (with a 9.4" screen) made by Vadem, called the Clio, in 1999. (it ran Windows CE)

RIM was 8th, at best. Basically Apple beat them by 9 years when it comes to 'icons in a grid' in a handheld device...

[jerryeight]

Hey guys, here's a few more pictures! Keep in mind, these are from an internal RIM document outlining some of the unique and/or interesting features coming in BlackBerry 10, for the use of employees.

http://i.imgur.com/nLxhS.png
http://i.imgur.com/ubkdh.png
http://i.imgur.com/mVZ9x.png
http://i.imgur.com/dRhaJ.png
http://i.imgur.com/TDzgO.png
http://i.imgur.com/SqVSf.png
http://i.imgur.com/WKmZv.png
http://i.imgur.com/Vf5s6.png
http://i.imgur.com/vNm9t.png
http://i.imgur.com/SagGN.png

Keep in mind, a lot of this might be early concept-ish type stuff on RIM's part, but nonetheless this is all from RIM and nothing I've made myself.

Feels great to see that a majority of these concepts have arrived on the final product. Glad they spent time to improve the ui cause the ui in these pics look really outdated and similar to early android