Many of you probably own some wireless Motorola product - most likely one of their mobile phones such as their ubersuccessful V3 RAZR, V600 and similar phones.The software they run is pretty much identical between them all with their very own Motorola-esque interface that have frustrated many, yet still being used by more people than you would imagine.
Why? Style and Features.
In addition to in-demand features like EDGE data transfer, Bluetooth and speakerphones, I've got to admit that the style of Motos top-end phones is pretty good which doesn't make you wonder why so many people buy them. Not only is the exterior of the V3 gorgeous in all of its simplicity, but the colour screen is to die for. Really.
When purchasing a mobile phone, some people look for features, others for style, and some (like me) for general usability.
Fortunately people like me do not make up a large percentage of their target market, otherwise they would sell millions of units one week only to come victim to an equal percentage of customer returns the following week.
PRODUCT RETURN FORM
Customer Name: Alex Kovach
Product Manufacturer: Motorola
Product Model: V3 RAZR (But really damn near all others)
Reason for return: Worst. Phonebook. Ever.
You might ask yourself why I'm so anal about something so simple as a phonebook.
The reason: phones with all of these features, and styles such as this don't come cheap. The RAZR at the time that I bought it for example was $300. Not the most expensive but far from the cheapest.
If I'm going to pay money like that for a product, I would expect it to function at least as good as all others, if not better. In the case of the Motorola phones however, they perform far, far worse with respect to the phonebook (ONLY the phonebook).
Why should I settle for something that would clearly irritate me for every day that I own the product when there are many other manufacturers to choose from? Nokia phones for example (Series 40 specifically) are extremely intuitive to use and quick. Menu options are where you expect them to be and if you're ever wondering if you can do [this], and do it [here], then you probably can.
And the reason it bothers me? Laziness. How could a company as large as Motorola not realize how poor their product is in comparison to others? If you can clearly see the deficiencies in your product, why would you not do everything to make it better, and perhaps have YOUR product be renowned for its ease of use as well as style?
Why is the Moto phonebook so bad?
The Phonebook
For a very long time, although other manufacturers changed to more usable methods, Motorola still had each of your contact numbers as a separate entry.
In other words, if Mom can be reached at home, work, and her mobile phone, you would have three separate Mom entries: Mom (Cell), Mom (Work), Mom (Home).
The method chosen by other manufacturers was a single contact entry with multiple numbers per entry, so you would have one entry "Mom", and three numbers associated to that contact. It is really hard to believe why one would do it any other way.
To top it all off, the poor user of the Moto phone (current model lineup) would be prompted to select a memory location of where they would want to store a new number they're entering.
Hmmm memory location... You mean speed dial? Nope. Memory location.
Why would anyone care about that? They wouldn't. That's my point.
I had a Samsung phone that did that too and that's partly what annoyed me for the life of the phone amongst other award winning interface decisions.
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Finally, with the RAZR they've waddled into the 21st Century and implemented the one-contact, multiple-entries solution.
Well... sort of. Once again Motorola stumbles on something that could have been done so well.
First of all, the default setting of the phone is to have separate contact entries for your numbers à la 1995. Only due to my curious nature am I able to notice the option to group your contacts together.
So, is this it? Have they nailed it? No. They haven't.
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Let's say you meet someone at a business function. And let's assume that since this is Canada their name is probably not going to be John Smith, but something of a more international flavour that may not be the easiest for most lazy North Americans to spell.
You get their email addresss and phone number, store those in your phone under their name and agree to get back to them. You'll meet up eventually, have lunch, exchange business cards and so on.
Looking at the business card now it's clear that you've misspelled their name - so it's not John Ayzerbomb, it's John Aizserbaum.
No problem, not everyone's perfect. I'll just edit their contact information.
Oh, wait a second. So the phone will let me edit the contact info for their email, OR the contact info for their number? Well isn't it the same? Wouldn't that be the whole purpose for grouping these two details together?
Motorola user interface design experts obviously think otherwise.
Let's pick one at random.
OOoh... The phone number. What luck!
Click Edit --> Contact Name. I correct the name and click Save Entry.
Fabulous job... until you realize that the name for the phone number has changed yet the name belonging to the email address is still buggered. Great design guys.
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Aside from the phonebook let's take a look at profiles.
A lot of phones nowadays (it used to be only Nokias) will let you have various profiles stored in the phone: Meeting, Outside, Silent, etc. so you don't have to manually adjust your ringer volume under those circumstances. Selecting a profile can change a lot more than the volume alone and takes much less time to do.
Have you ever wondered when you're in a theater, and at least one mobile phone owner can be heard adjusting his volume?
"BRRRIING, BRING, Bring, bring, brn"
Yes. That's a Motorola.
I suppose I should be commending them on even having profiles in the phone at all. Especially since they're even assigned clever names like: Low Ringer, High Ringer, and High + Vibe.
And to select between them all you have to do is adjust your volume control! Awesome!
Nothing says job well done than the Moto design team getting profiles on their brand spanking new V3 RAZR... the epitome of mobile style for Hollywood and most of fashion conscious North America.
