Neil Enns - Can you give us a demo of the SmartPhone?

Posted By: The Channel 9 Team | May 14th, 2004 @ 2:55 PM

Neil Enns is a lead program manager on the team that develops the SmartPhone and PocketPC software. This is a great chance for us to finally get a look at Microsoft's new SmartPhone. More on the cell phone industry and Microsoft's part in it will come over the next few weeks.

Tags: Windows Mobile

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phillprice
huh!

Here in the UK Smartphones are moving in nicely. I've even noticed the new "Inbox in aisle or window" bus shelter ads in london. I wont go back to my old Scandinavian phone. The only problem is I've lost my headphones for my e200 so no music at the moment, sniff Sad

lars

I just wonder which key fire up the antivirus software... =P

sbc
GW R/Me

What's the battery life like on it? For long battery life, I am sure a standard Nokia would be far better than a SmartPhone, perhaps even the ones that do video.

However, you may get a SmartPhone if you like gadgets, or really need PDA functionality on a mobile phone.

phillprice
huh!

i charge mine twice a week minimum, but it mainly sits on its little podium awaiting Activesync to talk to it anyway!

Neil
Neil

sbc wrote:

What's the battery life like on it?

I don't have a specific number, but the Motorola MPX200 is nice since the screen turns off instantly when you shut it, which is a large part of the power drain on the device. When it's in your pocket and the screen is off the device is essentially completely asleep.

I usually go about two days between charges. It depends on how heavily I sync Smiley

Obviously, driving the radio uses the battery faster.

What's really nice is that it charges over USB, so I have it on my desk next to my keyboard when I'm in my office. When I leave I take it with me on the hammer loop of my jeans.

sbc
GW R/Me

USB charging sounds quite good - I wonder what other phones can do that? I think we are starting to see more things charged by your PC or Laptop via USB. Torches and radios come to mind as well as portable media players.

I think in the future we are going to see batteries based on renewable fuels (i.e. fuel cell batteries) to be used in portable devices. Imagine filling up you phone along with your car (perhaps there will be two pumps - one large one for the car, and one for the phone/PDA/Laptop etc)?

cwoodruff
Just call me Woody

The smart phones are getting better but why not a scroller along the left side so that I can use my thumb to scroll to an item and make a selection. I don't want to use the directional pointer just to scroll up and down.

Neil
Neil

cwoodruff wrote:

The smart phones are getting better but why not a scroller along the left side so that I can use my thumb to scroll to an item and make a selection. I don't want to use the directional pointer just to scroll up and down.

Using a scroller for that purpose on a mobile device is actually patented, and our hardware partners would have to pay a license fee to use that technology. The up/down keys on some of the Smartphone devices, like the Orange SPVx, are actually pretty nice to use for scrolling. There are some other nifty ways of doing it that I've seen prototypes for; hopefully we'll see them in production devices soon!

Neil

cwoodruff
Just call me Woody

Could you have a scroller on the inside of the direction button? It could act as the slection button and also have a scroller? Is that patented? Smiley