Let’s be honest: the smartphone has reached the pinnacle of design, and it seems that the only way forward is not up. The desire to cram more technology into less space is what drives the companies that sell the best smartphones. But the rectangular panel that we treat like our babies has limited phone companies in terms of the experiments they can run to keep their designs fresh and exciting.
Despite these limitations, some brands have successfully introduced unique elements, making it easier for them to create different characters for their phones. Companies have focused particular attention on the back of smartphones to ensure maximum utilization of available real estate. These include the Vivo Nex and ZTE Nubia X with two full-fledged screens, to the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra with a tiny rear screen. Recently, the Doogee S98 rugged phone and the Nothing Phone 1 are among such devices that try to achieve something unusual with their rear design.
Doogee S98 Rugged Phone Tuishar Mehta/Digital Trends
These unique designs challenged what we usually expect from smartphones. And while part of that should be praised, there is still a lack in terms of optimal use of space. As useful as secondary screens can be, they can be very reductive to the user experience instead of being additional. After using one such device, I began to understand why the second screen form factor rarely works as expected.
Limited functionality
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra Andy Boxall/Digital Trends
There’s a conundrum every phone designer must face when tasked with making room for a second screen on the smartphone. There are two apparent paths one can take. First, the phone could be blessed with a large secondary display that spans a significant portion of the phone’s entire surface other than the main screen. This could happen as Vivo or Nubia implemented a fully functional second screen on the back or in the form of an external display on foldable phones such as the Galaxy Z Fold/Flip or Motorola Razr.
Another route for a mobile designer would be to use a smaller screen that’s only as big as a fitness tracker or smartwatch. Although the smaller size severely limits the screen’s functionality, it takes up a lot less space on the back and doesn’t make the phone so thick.
One of the most touted features on phones with a secondary display is that it allows users to take full advantage of the primary rear camera for selfies. In addition, the small secondary screens can be used to view notifications, control music and receive or reject incoming calls.
Most of these functions can also be performed using the smartwatch or by turning the phone. The secondary rear screen could become an unwanted and distracting feature once the novelty wears off. As our senior writer Andy Boxall notes in his review of the Nothing Phone 1, the so-called Glyph interface is cool as a concept, but doesn’t seem to stand out in everyday use.
Poor or wasteful use of space
Image used with permission of the copyright holder
Secondary screens on smartphones have yet to reach their optimal usability. Since most small secondary screens serve the same role as a fitness band or smartwatch, the secondary screen offers hardly anything new. To make the secondary screen actually usable (as in the case of the Motorola Razr, which lets you type from the external screen), phone companies require more volume in the phone’s case. And this cannot be achieved without thickening the phone.
While the increase in thickness can still be tangible and acceptable on foldable smartphones, the same can be attributed to a less comfortable design on a flat phone.
Makes it harder to ignore your phone
Andy Boxall/Digital Trends
We are constantly dragging our phones in our hands, finding reasons to unlock the screen one more time and quickly scroll through a series of (often useless) notifications. So putting down your phone and spending time without it requires a conscious effort. In an age where smartphones are criticized for being highly addictive, rear screens help keep users hooked even when they want to retire.
Turning the phone downwards symbolizes withdrawal and avoidance of noise. But with the backs of phones actively changing or updating with new notifications, they it can continue to invade the user’s mindspace and prevent them from actually switching off. Every time a new notification arrives, the Nothing Phone 1’s back screen (also known as the Glyph interface) lights up, demanding the owner’s attention.
It’s hard enough to turn off your phone with notifications flooding your front screen. When they can catch your attention from behind, ignoring all those warnings becomes even more impossible.
More QC issues and complicated fixability
Phones are getting harder to manufacture, and companies have to cram more components into the same or even less space, which already increases the challenges of maintaining reasonable quality control (QC). Furthermore, the densely packed components make repairing the phone even more difficult. Usually the back of the phone is the safest place to start the repair process, but with secondary screens or other elements cluttering up the space, the repair can become quite challenging — especially if you were hoping to rely on a third-party service.
Similarly, a complicated design can also result in manufacturing challenges. The first series Nothing Phone 1 was plagued with problems such as dust creeping inside the transparent back, incorrectly placed ribbon cablesand damaged interior. LED strips, to be exact, were also peel off.
At the same time, the rear screen on my Doogee S98 rugged phone also started flashing randomly after a few days of use, even before I could test the phone for its absurd durability claim.
In addition to the problems that can occur with phones with additional screens, preserving them during daily use is more of a challenge. While full screens can significantly prevent cases that can be used with these phones, even smaller secondary screens increase the fragility of the smartphone and require extra caution during use.
What’s the point of the dual screen trick?
Andy Boxall/Digital Trends
In an effort to stand out, phone companies often tread unusual paths, relying on features that can often seem gimmicky. Secondary screens, in most devices currently available on the market, seem like an unnecessary gimmick that doesn’t have much value. Adding a secondary screen can lead to unnecessary and preventable compromises in terms of durability and repairability. Not to mention, the extra screen also puts a strain on the device’s battery and processor.
While a flashy and glitzy element on the back of a phone can help companies stand out from the crowd — as in the case of the Nothing Phone 1, the product’s effectiveness stands the test of time in the marketplace.
As a service to the community, smartphone companies should strive to make phones more useful and less disruptive. By doing this, we can ensure that our phones and other devices don’t completely cloud our attention and judgment while disconnecting us from the physical world.
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Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn