N78 Keypad - What were you thinking Nokia!?
I have to say that my initial good first impressions of the new Nokia N78 handset are starting to turn to frustration. I have been using the handset in anger for the last few days.. and I am getting so annoyed with the keypad design.
As you can see from the photos below, the keypad is ridiculously small on the Nokia N78. If you thought that the keys on the N82 were tiny you haven’t seen anything till you try the N78!
The Nokia N78 sports a new keypad design, joining the 4 traditional rows of buttons into just 4 ridged keys - pressing the left, middle or right of the ridge for the appropriate key is a neat concept, and I think that it works well. My concern is that the buttons are just far too cramped together to be usable.
Can you believe that the distance between the start of ‘1′ and the end of ‘3′ is just 2.8cm!! Get a ruler out and see just how small that is! In contrast the width of the keypad on a Nokia N95 is 4cm.
I think that I am pretty fast texter and can bang out a message in seconds using two thumbs with predictive text on. Not so on the N78 - My thumbs just keep getting in the way of each other.
I have quite skinny fingers/thumbs, and even I struggled to two-thumb text, what I can do perfectly well on an N80, N95, N73 and even the relatively small keys of N82. Somebody with fat fingers, really won’t like this handset at all!
Unfortunately it’s not just the main keypad that I have been having issues with..
The rest of the keys (pickup/hang-up/Applications/Left & Right Soft Keys & C) on the N78 are flush with the plastic case, which on first impression looks really neat, but I have problems here too.
1. When you read a text message and hit the left soft key for Options, to then click reply, your thumb covers both the white key and green pickup.. quite often when I press the handset here, I inadvertently push the green pick-up which starts to call the person that sent you the text!
2. Because the numeric/alpha keypad is so small, I am forever making mistakes when typing.. On previous Nseries handsets, I could easily just move my right thumb up and hit the ‘C’ button to correct. But for some reason, they have decided to relocate the ‘C’ button to the bottom right of the handset. (see the top image to see where the ‘C’ button is located on the N78 & N82). It’s just not easy to get to, as you have to awkwardly pull you thumb back, and down. I actually find it quite uncomfortable to use.
3. I have had issues, when pressing some of these flush keys, in them not being responsive.. and have had to re-press it 2 or 3 times to get it to carry out the appropriate action.
It would see that looks are not everything, when it comes to a handset. I love the look of the Nokia N78, more so over the similarly looking N82, but when it comes to being functional - thats another matter.
The next part of my Nokia N78 review will cover the build quality, check it out in the next couple of days.
Well… that was what we all were expecting, but didn’t want to believe… Nokia spoiled a great piece of hardware with that keyboard… Don’t they test the products with real users before launching this products? How hard can it be to put a decent keyboard on these machines…
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My current phone, N73 has the ‘C’ key on bottom right corner, so the placing is not that special. Conserning the keypad size, I’ve always written text messages with only one hand and having had a chance to try writing on N78 I’m quite pleased with it. Actually using 2 thumbs like you do is a new technique to me.
I didn’t experience such difficulties with left softkey and pickup key either nor did I have problems with keys not registering. So I suppose the way you are handling the phone has a big role with N78 and therefore it may not be *the* phone for everyone. However it will be for me.
[...] from iGadgetLife has been trying out the N78 he has snagged and his initial good impressions are turning a little [...]
Personally i’m a 1 thumb speed sms-er, so i dont think 2 thumb typing is an issue with me, but that responsiveness thing… hmmmMMmm thats another story la
[...] N78 Keypad - What were you thinking Nokia!? May 13th. [...]
Could you elaborate on how exactly the buttons work?
Are the softkeys and red/green buttons touch-sensitive (like the navi-wheel), or is there a pushbutton under the fascia?
Equally, are the numbers touch-sensitive between the ridges, or are they actually the ridges themselves?
Except for the navi wheel, none of the buttons are actually touch sensitive.
Hi Neil
What in N78 sound quality in conversation?
I know that the N82 sound somewhat deaf, low levels of high frequency
Dimmodd - Personally I have not experienced any problems with the sound quality of either the N82 or N78..
Fantastic
The principles of universal design for control devices like cell phones, remote controls, etc. is that they should have raised keys that are visually and physically distinct. Of course, as some your readers’ comments suggest, sometimes a specific design can work well for particular uses, like one-handed texting.
Here at the Wireless Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC), we are dedicated to promoting wireless use and usability for people with disabilities. iGadgetLife’s review of the N78 and reader comments are informative and useful to our constituents. I posted a link from our blog site to this review. Thanks, and check us out at http://www.MyWirelessReview.com.
I have had n78 for one week now. And still I sometimes accidentaly press hangupkey when I try to go back in menus etc. This is really annoying because the hangupkey directs the phones interface always to the “home” screen. So when using GPS and I finally have the route all set up’n calculated, I find myself staring the “home” screen and my route is disappeared. Also when using speaker mode, while making call, sometimes I hangup when I try to go back to handheld mode. Damn NOKIA. Is this the reason why NOKIA stock is going doooown… Thumbs down.
it is drivin’ me crazy… well, the keypad was a thing i could guess, but not the damn menu structure (like what RIDGE ISLAND) mentioned… it’s really disappointing. i limit myself to buy Nokia and just Nokia and that’s what I got…
@Ridge Island
i totally agree with u. i was so frustrated when i play java games, listened to music etc. and was taken back to home screen because i pressed the right softkey. i also thought about giving my n78 back. but now i will wait for a firmware update may be it will be solved. it would be great if u can set the red and green buttons.