Smartphone Thoughts: Mobius 2005: The Report

Windows Mobile Next Generation: Photon
As has been mentioned elsewhere, Photon is the code-name for the next generation of Windows Mobile that is still years away. We were given a demo, and all I can say is "wow". And that's really all I'm allowed to say about it. We're not under an NDA for Mobius, but it was asked that we keep it "off the record" so I'm respecting the trust they put in us regarding Photon. And no, I won't answer questions about Photon so don't ask. ;-)

Motorola
Later, Paul from Motorola gave us an overview of the organizational structure of their company, and the design goals they have for their products. On the Razr for instance, they wanted to create an icon and one that had no compromises. They've definitely succeeded in making the Razr a cultural icon (in North America at least), but not having used one I can't comment on the "no compromise" element. Being a Windows Mobile guy, anything lacking that operating system is inherently a compromise for me. He talked about the importance of a signature execution � the glow that a Razr emits when it's opened is an example of this. The PEBL was designed to be simple first and foremost � I imagine its signature execution on the PEBL is the shape.

I held one in my hands briefly, and the shape and feel of the outer shell evokes an impression that it was naturally designed. It has a feeling of quality that is sadly lacking in almost every Windows Mobile device on the market today. Seeing the PEBL reinforced my belief that Motorola has the design skills to bring a fantastic Windows Mobile phone to the market, and that something really bizarre happened with the MPx220 because it was so far below the bar in terms of fit and finish. The design quality of Windows Mobile devices is still far below the bar of mainstream feature phones.

The Motorola Q will be coming out in CDMA format first, which frustrates me to no end because that means I'll never be able to use one until my local CDMA carrier (Telus) releases it. I can't even review one � the last time I went to Telus to ask them to activate a Samsung i700 for review purposes they refused. I got a bit of hands-on time with the Q and while the thinness and overall design is superb, I didn't like the keyboard very much � the keys required too much pressure to hit, and are shaped in such a way that it hindered my use. I'm hoping the final shipping version (they're still saying Q1 2006) will be different.

Some of the other presentations included Xbox 360, Windows Automotive, and industry trends. We also had some interesting group work and brainstorming, which I'll be posting about later on.

Closing Thoughts
Mobius 2005 was, as always, a fun event. I really enjoy networking and learning from people like myself who run technology Web sites. It's always interesting to hear what Microsoft is up to, and especially interesting to hear the opinions of other people in the mobile device industry who are much more in touch with how other phones work. I'm so focused on Windows Mobile that I don't think about the competition much.

For the record, the main items I received from the conference: an iMate SP5m (score!), a jacket with the craziest lining you've ever seen, a Motorola Razrwire (sunglasses with a Bluetooth headset), and a 128 MB miniSD card.

Other Mobius 2005 coverage: The Gadgeteer, pocketnow.com, Clinton Fitch.com.

Jason Dunn owns and operates Thoughts Media Inc., a company dedicated to creating the best in online communities. He enjoys mobile devices, digital media content creation/editing, and pretty much all technology. He lives in Alberta, Canada.