Seems like with all the current smart phones war, it’s all being smart first, phone second. Windows Mobile, iPhone & Android - maybe no one gets it anymore? Really, just demo a phone call at least.

Was reading up on the 50 finalists of the Android Developer Challenge, one thing that really struck me is how (f)ugly those applications are!

Before we go into bashing anything, let me first iterate my experience previously with a smart phone. Well, it was none other than a Dopod running Windows Mobile (it was version 5 I believe). Not going to put the blame on Microsoft, but heck, I find the whole idea of using a smart phone may not be that great after all!

First, the effort to really keep your data (or in this case, indirectly meaning yourself) organized. I find it tough to navigate all the possibilities from such a small screen. Sure enough, nowadays the screens are reaching 3 inches or more, but heck I still find it a wee bit too dumb (or puny) to put every possible options on screen!
Inevitably, this mean that you should really keep another really organized copy of the same set of data and have them synchronized! Better still, run it off an online exchange server and yeah, you’re really on the move!

However, this bring me to a second point, data plan costs too much, just too much for no really apparent benefit. Can you live on for 5 hours without synchronizing with an online server? Sure you can! (Or maybe in this case, sure I can.) Maybe I ain’t a big boss running a business and need constant flow of information. Seriously, I shouldn’t let my life be governed by just work? Also is it really necessary to make a crap out of yourself (*ahem* myself) trying to view everything on a small screen? Come on, it’s just like hours away?

Third, combining both the irritations, I just find that navigating everything on a smart phone a wee bit too tedious. Note, before you claim that I am bashing Windows Mobile (or Microsoft), please note that I’ve tried phones like the Viewty, Symbian based phone as well among others.

Of course, it’s not complete for me to just bash on my own experience considering every Tom, Dick and Harry are talking about the game changing iPhone. Perhaps the only take away I really care about the iPhone (apart for it being crippled without 3G, current inability to sync with exchange servers etc.), is the UI. And I really think that’s where the game changing is.

And going back to the very first point raised on the (f)ugly looking Android applications, I really find that perhaps the Android platform isn’t really that wonderful. From the list of 46, I find that the UI just ain’t intuitive in most cases. They looked like pieces of sands everywhere! While I was really contemplating on the possibility of building a hobby as a UI designer, I saw the news in regards to LiMo and Mozilla and Verizon.

Guess, UI may really be a good hobby. Or maybe, UI maybe a good career to pursue. Maybe, just maybe, if I may dream, I could become a leading guru in UI design? Maybe I should really JUST continue working on this blog!

Oh, maybe iPhone may be really fun when 2.0 arrives.