Apple's iPhone. What about the smudges?

The iPhone looks like a wonderful device. Beautiful, stunning, simple, elegant design. I’m even considering picking one up.

But don’t get it twisted… My major problem with the design of this (and all large-touch screen input devices) is that keeping it clean and looking nice is going to be a major pain in the ass.

Apple iPhone

I’m a current owner of a Treo 680. I’ve owned pretty much every Treo model in existence since they were created, and a lot of Palm/Handspring devices before that.

My main problem besides trying to keep dust out from underneath the screen is keeping the screen oil-free from my fingers and my face. Not that I’m a particularly oily person, I’d consider myself normal…at least in that respect.

It’s a constant struggle to keep the screen clear of such mess, and after awhile it builds up and even the best cleaning won’t remove accumulated scratches, smudges and streaks.

I can’t imagine keeping a screen clean where it’s the primary source of input. At least on the modern-day Treos you can enter pretty much anything via the keyboard and the 5-way input button.

I’m interested to try out the iPhone, like everyone else. I’m sure Apple is going to make a killing selling the thing, but I think there’s real money to be made selling cleaning products for it.

Who’s with me? All my people with OCD stand up.

Update

One thing on my mind I forgot to mention is the lack of tactile feedback.

It’s gotten to the point where I can type without looking at the keys on my Treo. Very useful for sending email and text messages, or just browsing the web.

The lack of tactile feedback (the click when you push a key / button) is going to lead to problems I’d imagine.

I’m still excited about the phone, but not without reservations.

seth, Tue, 09 Jan 2007 21:23:00 GMT
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  1. yalla huj 18 minutes later:

    one of the 200 patents was for some oil-dissolving bacteria that live on the iPhone in a symbotic relationship

  2. ix about 1 hour later:

    lets see. LG Chocolate, only it costs 4x as much, and proably has 1/4th the battery life. no SD slot, and half the HD is proably full of OSuX libraries already. im sure all the good little apple-consumer slave-whore drones will make this a smashing success

  3. _- about 1 hour later:

    you have to remember Apple’s Metronatural target demographic…has no body oils or secretions. they are basically aliens clad in Burberry….FACT

  4. Sean about 1 hour later:

    It will probably come with a soft case that cleans the screen each time you put it in or take it out. The case will have enough resistance to clean both sides of the phone, but still allow you to easily remove the phone and put it away. It will automatically clean all but the most determined spots, which you can rid of by applying more pressure and more passes.

    The downside is that you will then have to clean the case, most likely throwing it in the washer with your clothes.

    Do they already have something like this for iPods?

  5. hh about 5 hours later:

    OCD or no, this is one of the first things i thought of, too! between the oily/greasy/smudge problems, what about the fact that the current iPods scratch so easily??? i know belkin, incase, et al are already prototyping the next wave of iPod/iPhone cases, but still…

  6. kevinn about 7 hours later:

    You’re going to need a screen protector for it and fast, regardless of what ever “non-scratch” material the screen will be!

  7. Allan W. about 10 hours later:

    Re: the smudges: that’s what the RDF field generator is for!

  8. Michael 1 day later:

    The smudge problem is one of the things I hated about the Blackberry Pearl when I tried it out for 2 weeks. The back of that thing is beautiful and glossy, like the black keys on a piano. That glossiness makes it an oil/smudge magnet. One thing that I used to like about clamshell devices was that the shape made it easier for me to keep the screen away from my face.

    The iPhone is going to need a case with a velvety inside and an integrated chamois you can use to buff it up nice. But yeah, keeping it pretty is going to be a chore.

  9. Andy 2 days later:

    I think that someone is going to come up with a finger glove or full glove that will allow for the finger to still use the iPhone and keep oils off of the surface. They already have these out. Someone invented this kind of glove for skiiers who want to control their iPods while on the slopes. Old tech, new use!

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