SURFACE PHONE - "The Ultimate Phone"
Dear Microsoft,
Quick background. 22 year old computer engineering student. Been using Windows Phone sense HTC HD7.... Day 1 WP user and avid follower.
This is clearly a difficult time in WP's timeline. Market share is very low. Growth is dwindling. Devices are subpar. Employers are fired. CEO probably wants to throw the whole experiment in the dump. So it is fair to say that this is the last chance for Microsoft Phone design. Please, I beg of you, do not dwell on the past. You are Microsoft. You have almost infinite resources to pull from. You guys are smart, creative, and super passionate about Windows Phone.
So in light of your attempts to make a Surface Phone, here are my biased ideas on where you guys should take the design, engineering, and marketing of this product from the perspective of a super WP fan.
We are going to first start with the philosophy behind the Windows Phone. If you guys feel as if you are developing this phone for the sole purpose of making a phone with Surface in front of the name, or making a phone with a stylus, or making a phone for Surface fans, STOP NOW!!! The smartphone market is FLOODED with great devices and equally speced devices. But the ones that shine are the ones who have a clear philosophy about how the company sees people interacting with technology and with each other in the future. There are great devices that no one buys simply because the device is only a device. People don't just buy DEVICES, only us tech people do that. Normal people will only pay big money for an IDEA... a LIFESTYLE... a device in and of itself means nothing... To make a Surface Phone for the sole purpose of making a Surface phone is like having a baby for the sole purpose of having a baby..... if you do not stay up at night thinking about all the great things your child will achieve, spend hours prepareing for how you will develop the child over time, and emotionally prepare for the hardships that will come as the child matures, then you should not be even thinking about having a little girl or a little boy.
But my hunch, knowing Panos to a certain degree, is that you guys are quite stoked about the idea of developing the best mobile device in human history. I have a feeling that you guys are just as disgusted as I am by the design and promotion of the latest Lumia devices, and are working hard to clean that slate. I have a feeling that you guys are actually staying up at night planning the future of this device... imagining it, theorizing scenarios, and prototyping ideas. And if you are doing this, consider this......
Consider a phone that is more than an angry birds gaming engine. Consider a phone that is more than a texting machine. Consider a phone that is more than a casual photo taker. Consider a phone that is more than a music player. Consider a phone that is more than a internet browser. Consider a phone that is more than a phone. What would that look like? Its not about what you can do that Apple and Samsung havn't done. Its about what can you do that will change what we think of a smartphone? What is the future of a computer in a pocket. Don't think about what's out there already, think about what is out there 10 years from now. What will that look like? What is the future of phones? You've showed us the future of PC's with Surface and Hololens. But what is the future of the thing that is in your pocket? MAKE IT, NOW. Its in your hands. No one is doing it. Everyone is just adding more pixels and thinning out their phone.... But no one is changing the world.
Here is how you can change the world..... the Surface Phone should be the phone that replaces pro peripheral devices. That includes microphones, cameras, music playback, trackpads, notepads, motion tracking devices, desktop computers, creative software, development software, office apps...
A phone should in essense replace people's professional cameras, recording devices, work desktops, tracking devices, notepads ect.... while delivering on all of the basic things we expect from smartphones.... angry birds, texting, snapchat, skype, phone calls, ect.... Again, don't worry about what everyone else is doing. Worry about what the future is doing. Because you are the ones to dictate what people will be doing in the future.... The surface phone should be the phone that you take on a trip to do landscape photography, take pictures with it, use a full version of adobe lightroom to edit it, and send it to your clients all on your phone. It should be the phone that you use to sample your guitar playing and finish the song on a display....... It should be the phone that take with you to an interview to take notes on. It should be the phone that you mark up a dissertation with on the train. It should be the phone that you edit 4k video with. The Surface Phone is the Ultimate Phone.... it does everything every smartphone could ever do, but better, and it does everything your pro device could ever do.... It should in essense be the only thing in your backpack along with your Surface Book. You shouldn't need anything else.
Ok so before I list specs, I should note that I am not pressed on you guys using an Intel chip. Intel's mobile chip, while impressive, is still not as versatile as Snapdragon series. Although you are taking a risk with Surface Phone, don't take a risk that will have comprimises. Unless you guys partner with Intel to build a chip that meets THE SAME credientials as the Snapdragon 820, as well as supply Win32 functionality, please stay clear of Intel. Snapdragons are great. And Intels not going anywhere....
Ok specs.... THESE MATTER:
- 4k Screen resolution (by the time the phone is released, this will be on the newest phones) (optimize Windows 10 mobile for this res)
- AMOLED Bezels display. Try to stretch the bezels as far as possible? there is no use for them with the strength of Gorilla Glass 4. Produce digital bezels for specific applications.
- Clear black
- Pixelsense (figure out what to do with this, otherwise, don't include it) ..... maybe 3d touch-like functionality would be cool
- Gorilla Glass 4
- CURVED DISPLAY!!!! This is huge as it adds to visual appeal... if this phone is a last chance, its go big or go home
- 5.7-inch display. Don't make 2 devices
- 12mp purview 120-degree wide-angle camera with software OIS (FIX THE POST PROCESSING, Lumia front cameras suck.... processing looks grainy, colors washed out or too vibrant.... please add better depth of field, better color representation, better lens, less cartoonish processing.... the front camera means EVERYTHING for a huge chunk of users. It?s not an after though like it is for us techies.... my GF literally won?t get a Windows Phone only because of the front camera. Please, I beg of you, FIX THIS. The HTC 8x had a great front camera with only 2mp.... please glean from that one. Also, add a screen flash
- Infrared sensor
- 4 3D Super high quality microphones
- 32MP Camera, Max f/5, ISO 15,000, Shutter speed 1/6000 - 30 second, Metering Range: EV 0.0 - EV 18.0, SUPER FAST AUTO FOCUS, Up to 4 fps at 16 MP for up to 20 frames, Super-fast photo taking, Auto HDR, Live HDR, Triple LED flash Focus flash, RAW
- Video Camera.... 4k, 96fps-23fps (picture within video at 8mp), FHD 240fps-23fps, 720p 360fps-23fps. 5-axis OIS with Software OIS, RAW
- 4 HD front facing Speakers
- Intel+Microsoft collaborated chip AND Snapdragon 820... perhaps you can use both chips to handle different tasks, much like Xbox One
- Wireless charging
- 3600 mA battery
- Surface Phone Pen 2,048 Levels of pressure sensitivity? Eraser
- Audio jack
- USB C
- Micro SD Support
- NFC
- Bluetooth 4.1
- MHL 3.0
- IR LED
- 4G LTE Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, At&t support. If you don?t pull this off, it?s already over before you start
- Gesture, Accelerometer, Geo-magnetic, Gyroscope, RGB ambient light, Proximity, Barometer, Hall Sensor, Finger Scanner, UV, HRM
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
- Pressure sensitivity (steal and innovate upon force touch)
- NO FANS!!!!!
DESIGN!!!! . My favorite?.
Lumias were beautiful devices. I still love my Lumia 1520, and even though I feel the Lumia 950 was a weak attempt, I still saw a very minimalist device that had a lot of potential. Sort of seemed unfinished. But I love the unibody Polycarp design language. However, the Surface design language is almost completely the reverse. Sharp edges, mag alloy unibody?. Crisp form?. Because this is a surface phone, I think the wise thing to do is to use the Surface Phone to usher in the next generation of Surface Design language. I always wanted the Surface to have rounder corners?. It?s a bit too sharp and too inviting?. I also wish the Surface devices had a shiny trim as they can seem a bit too boring at times?.
For the Surface Phone, I think the best way to go would be a magnesium alloy with a smooth trackpad feel, rounded corners, unibody, shiny metal trim?. It?s really due for a premium look?. Also, make 4 unique colors
- Surface color (very light matte silver, give it a cool name)
- Black-ish Grey
- Navy-Blue
- Light Green
This is key in drawing in different types of people. The way you will get the average person?s attention isn?t by all of the tech and productivity stuff I mentioned earlier?. It?s by the colors of the phone, the rounded edges, the curved screen, the trim, the minimalism, the feel, the invitingness. The way you keep their attention is with the tech and productivity and functionality. But the way you catch their eye is with the sensory details.
Please make this phone super thin?. Lightness doesn?t matter, actually a little weight adds value to the premium feel
Great design is really a combination of great theft and great creativity. So I would look at Samsung Galaxy Edge, iPhone 6, IPhone 5s for inspiration. These are beautiful devices, and I think a combination of those devices with the Surface design language would be beautiful?.
Before I end, NO CAMERA BUMP PLLEAAASEEE!!! The camera bump ruins the whole point of making a thin phone. It looks like a pimple on a beautiful face? And do not put a huge ring around the camera?. It looks like a wart? I know this is done for camera reflective reasons, but minimize the size and try to implement some software get around with reflection?. DESIGN IS CHIEF here. Minimalism is chief here!!! Illuminate everything that isn?t essential. Squint, and illuminate more. Get rid of curves that aren?t needed. Get rid of grooves that are irrelevant. Include only what is necessary.
I?d also like to add that I do not want a removable battery!!! DO NOT DO THIS!!! This is such a waste of good design. You never want people to see what?s inside?.. Unless you are going to make the inside a beautiful spectacle, keep it simple. Put the micro-sd card slot and the nano sim outside of phone.
The pen design should be uni-body and only as long as the phone. Try to keep it simple and make it ROUND, not geometric. You want it to slide into the phone at any angle, that will make things easier. It can be polycarb, or a very light metal. But just make it minimal?. Don?t make it a scene and don?t put a huge logo on it. Include an eraser. And make sure that the phone looks invisible when it is docked inside of the phone?. You don?t want the phone to look like it has a pen?. You don?t want it to look like a palm pilot. You want it to look like something for everyone, not just business users.
This phone should be a minimalist?s dream? but it also has to have a slight bit of premium spark. I like the Lumia 830 design A LOT?. This is the level of premium minimalism you should shoot for?. But metal?
So let?s recap design:
- 5.7-inch CURVED BEZELESS display (super important)
- 7.5 mm thin
- Magnesium alloy
- Uni Body
- Brushed cold feel
- White silver, Navy Blue, Light Green, Blackish Gray color options
- Shiny metal trim
- Microsoft Logo on back (shiny)
- Single volume dongle, Power button, Camera button
- Clean inviting form factor
- Curved corners
- Flat back camera (make the device thicker if you have to)
- Minimalism
So to conclude the design, please obsess over this. I know that you guys have awesome designers at Microsoft. You guys should really obsess over this design, and pay attention to the smallest of details. Please, aesthetics is EVERYTHING when it comes to phones. You can never overcompensate in another area to make up for bad visual design. The Surface Phone has to be the most beautiful phone ever made. It has to be. If you are not shooting for that goal, then just stop now, please. It?s better not to design at all than to shoot for design that is not the best?. You have to design for perfection?. You just have to.... I know you guys can and will do this?.
It?s also quite clear that I have not mentioned anything about a keyboard cover or a kickstand. This is because I don?t know if this is even that important. You don?t want to give people the impression that Surface just means a device with a keyboard and surface pen. Surface is a philosophy of technology. It?s an idea that technology has no boundaries, and that one device shouldn?t be limited to what you can do on it and what you can achieve with it. So with the Surface, don?t give it a keyboard if you cannot make a realistic keyboard for it?. Don?t make a kickstand if it will compromise on design and if people really are not going to use it?. Remember, no one will even think of the thing you didn?t include, but people will think of the thing you DID include all too much if it?s not useful. So don?t put something in there for the heck of it. Everything with the Surface Phone HAS TO BE ESSENTIAL?. I?m not suggesting that you not do a keyboard and kickstand, I am suggesting that if you do it, do it really well, and PUSH A SPECIFIC USE CASE, and make sure you have great software to back it up, and a great message to back it up?. Which leads into the last topic?..
Marketing. This phone is not just a phone for business people. I dare you to market it that way, I will lose my mind. There is no such thing as business device. There is no such thing as a business person. There are only people that run businesses. If you cannot attract the person behind the business, you cannot attract what you think is the business person. The only reason business people use your stuff is because THEY HAVE TO. And so you?ve neglected good marketing and good design because you?ll get sales regardless. You have to attract PEOPLE, and I know you can do this because I?ve seen you do this with Surface. Don?t make a bunch of adds with all of these quick scenes of people being super productive. People aren?t going to spend 500 dollars on something that they can do with their laptop. People spend 500 dollars on something that inspires them, and excites them, that attracts them?. Don?t have some guy talking in the background about things no one understands like ?edit 4k videos in continuum mode, transfer files? people can figure that out when they get the phone. They don?t need a guy talking to them?. The trick with a good add has nothing to do with the device?. It has everything to do with the people in the device?..
Make an add campaign where REAL PEOPLE are enjoying a moment together, seeing new born grandchild for the first time (REAL PEOPLE, NOT ACTORS)?. Or a REAL COUPLE looking back at old photos on their Surface Phone. Or a REAL PERSON using the Lumia to take a picture of his son making his first 3 pointers. And then at the end of the scene, show a white screen with the ?Surface Phone? over the screen or ?The Ultimate Phone? and then a Microsoft LOGO afterwards. This is mimimal marketing and you guys really need to embrace it. No one cares for specs and features?. Every phone has the same features in the eyes of most people now?. And its relatively true. Don?t do all of that crap. Just show PEOPLE doing something awesome, or beatiful, or loving, or memorable?. Real people, not actors?. And give them the phone? the phone doesn?t even have to star in the ad?.. just put it there. The trick is getting people to love a moment, and associating that moment with the phone?. Because again, people don?t spend money on technology, they spend money on a lifestyle. You have to associate a great lifestyle with a great phone?. Not great technology with a phone?.. no, great authentic life with great phone????????..
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram