Chapter 46 Power On and Interaction

After Xu Shenxue successfully turned on the phone, Song Changhai, the R&D director in charge of system optimization, stepped forward and began to explain: "Because this phone has been tested before, you can't see the settings on the startup interface now. Instead, you will be taken directly to the home page. If it is the first time to turn it on, there will be a process to guide the user to set up!"

Xu Shenxue opened the screen of his already powered-on mobile phone. The whole screen was relatively clear, with the default icons for calls, text messages, camera, photos, settings, etc. all relatively clear.

In Xu Shenxue's opinion, this interface is not too amazing, but considering the screen display effect and the limitations of the times, it is already pretty good.

It looks not much different from the fruit machine next to it, and the display effect is even better. After all, with the same size, the screen resolution of C1 is much higher.

Song Haichang said: "We made more than 30 versions of the main interface and icon design, and finally chose this one!"

"In terms of interaction design, we referred to your suggestions, Mr. Xu. After completely abandoning the physical full keyboard and the lack of a virtual full keyboard in the current Android underlying system, we designed a virtual keyboard plug-in and implemented virtual keyboard input."

"For button control, we use capacitive touch buttons, use the home button to return to the main interface with one click, use the back button to return to the previous interface, and use the menu button to expand functions!"

"In addition, considering the need to switch tasks and clear running apps to free up more running memory, we designed a quick double-click of the home button to pop up the multitasking window."

"Users can choose to switch or clean any window, or click the one-click clear button below to clear all background software, freeing up enough running memory to improve running speed and make the phone run more smoothly!"

Xu Shenxue listened and tested it. He first opened multiple apps in succession, then returned to the home page and double-clicked the home button. He tried to clean up the apps one by one and all apps with one click. After cleaning, he felt that the running speed did not seem to change much...

At this time, Song Changhai continued: "Because of the limitations of hardware performance, in order to maximize the utilization efficiency of CPU and memory, we have also added a 'background running' permission switch in the settings. Users can set the background running permission switch for different apps by themselves."

"Once this permission is disabled, the system will forcefully close the app five minutes after the user exits the app interface to free up CPU and memory resources."

"However, this will affect the background information push. Once the background running permission is turned off, the APP will not be able to receive information push during the closed period!"

"In addition, when we use other brands of smartphones, we find that various APPs push information too frequently, which seriously damages the user experience. Therefore, we have also added various information notification permissions to the permission settings, and users can turn them on and off for the APP by themselves!"

"In addition, we are following the example of Google and Apple to build our own information push system. Once it is built, we can allow apps that have obtained our certification to push information to users through our information push system, so that users can receive information without the need for the app process to reside in memory."

"Of course, the premise is that users have not blocked information notifications from these apps."

Song Changhai talked about a lot of things, but the main focus was on human-computer interaction and running speed. Human-computer interaction is about making it more convenient for users to use. The typical features are the virtual keyboard and three capacitive touch buttons.

While using it, Xu Shenxue habitually swiped the APP interface on his phone...but found that he couldn't slide it, so he immediately said: "Although we have a return button, we also have to consider that users don't like buttons. We should make it as convenient as possible for users to operate, such as making a swipe back gesture operation!"

As he spoke, he demonstrated it again... Others were confused, but Song Changhai's eyes lit up after seeing it:
"Using gestures to operate the interface, I haven't thought of this before. I'll have someone try it out and see the effect!"

Xu Shenxue said: "Just do it first, don't be too anxious. Oh, and register the patent first!"

This gesture operation actually doesn't make much sense in current smartphones... because the screens of current mobile phones are very small, 3.5 inches is already an "ultra-large screen", and many mobile phones are planning to use or even -inch screens when developing smartphones.

With such a small screen and a small body, it is very convenient to use the return button if operated with one hand.

Like the Fruit 3G, it doesn’t even have a physical return button. It only leaves a return button in the upper left corner of the screen...but it still works.

But when the big screen era comes, things are different!

Xu Shenxue plans to start in the field of gesture control for large screens and get some patents... This means he will follow the path of others and leave them with nowhere to go! He is very curious about how these manufacturers will solve the control problem of large-screen mobile phones in the future when they enter the era of ultra-large screens and there is no gesture operation!

For a handheld smart device, human-computer interaction is crucial, because it determines whether it can be used and whether it is convenient to use.

Designers need to make certain compromises in interaction and appearance design.

For example, fruit machines pursue simplicity and beauty, so they insist on using only one front button, but in this case, the human-computer interaction is actually quite troublesome.

For example, to return to the previous level, you can only click the back button on the screen.

Why did Apple like to use 3.5-inch phones so much in the early days, saying that this size was the most suitable? Because it only had one button, and there was no slide-back function at the time, so it was difficult to operate with one hand after the screen became larger... The thumb could not reach the back button in the upper left corner.

This small return button in the upper left corner can be used in the 3.5-inch era and is barely adequate in the 4-inch era, but when it comes to the 4.7-inch era, this interactive system is simply a disaster.

Finally, Fruit added a left-swipe-to-return function, which solved the problem!

Early Android phones did not have this problem, after all, there was a return button, which was usually in the lower left corner and was easy to operate with one hand.

However, this problem still exists after entering the full-screen era.

At this time, how to solve this problem?

Based on later experience, there is only one feasible way: gesture operation!

No matter whether you swipe left, right or any other way... you have to use gestures to interact instead of buttons.

This shows the importance of gesture operation!
The reason why Xu Shenxue mentioned this today is that he wanted the R&D staff to develop it first. When the technology matures, it will probably be able to be used in large-size mobile phones, and then this technology can be used.

After all, technology is developing very fast nowadays. We will enter the era of large screens in just a few years. It is always a good idea to carry out technology research and development in advance.

In addition, first register all the patents related to gesture operation to block other mobile phone manufacturers' gesture operation methods... Even if it cannot be blocked, make them spend more manpower and resources to bypass the patents.

If it cannot be avoided, Xu Shenxue is looking forward to entering the era of large screens or even full screens. Without the left swipe to return or similar swipe up to return gestures, how will other manufacturers solve the operation problems of large screens/full screens?

Maybe they will give Xu Shenxue a new surprise? Like voice control? Or brain control?

As for technology, this is how it should be promoted. We should first block the feasible paths for our peers in advance. We can’t let them just lie down and not make progress. We should give them the motivation to make efforts.

Then see if they can come up with something new. What if they really come up with some kind of brain wave signal control?

That will greatly promote the overall technological development of mankind!
Xu Shenxue is happy to be a person who promotes the technology of smartphones and even human technology as a whole.

Who makes him a good person?

(End of this chapter)

previouscatalognext