LOVE+HATE I love my Bell phone. The Samsung U740 is a double flip phone that has every feature I could ask for. It has a dual-hinge design that makes both texting and calling extremely effortless.
Its affordances are very clear. As a cell phone, it needs to be practical to transport. This phone is thin and sleek, never a burden to carry. The front of the phone serves as a radio, the play and skip keys are clearly displayed on its surface. The intended use of the phone is obvious. As it flips to be longer, it mimics a regular phone, and as it flips wider, it represents a keyboard, making texting hassle-free.
The physical contraints of this device could be adjusted. Though it is clear that the phone flips both ways and the hinge is quite strong, I could see how the phone could be susceptible to snapping. Another physical constraint is the difficulty to call while in "text" mode. While having the phone flipped widely, the only way to dial out is to turn the phone sideways and it will be automatically on speaker. Speaker is useful as it is quite loud and handy at times. Psychological contraints are implied with the function of certain buttons in relation to which flip mode you are in. The numbers or letters face the way you should be reading the screen. Also, the dialing numbers for "call" mode are white and quite obvious.
There isn't too much to say about the mapping or the visibility. There is good feedback for when you press each button, there is a click sound and also an optional beep noise that I've chosen to switch off. There are two directive buttons for each mode which are very obvious if you take a closer look. I find that all of the buttons and symbols are in good and clear orientation in relation to their functions. Also, the "back" button is very forgiving aswell as the "drafts" option (allowing you to postpone the sending of your text).
I hate my residence phone. It is unclear and such a hassle to use. I've such annoying experiences with it I've been driven to the point of considering bringing a new one back reading week.
The affordance of this phone is absolutely terrible. It has a long cord that seems to be intented for mobility in my room. Unfortunately for me, I am constantly finding myself or my roommate tripping over it. Other than that, the dialing buttons are quite clear along with where you speak in to.
There are several physical and psychological constraints within this monstrosity. There is no clear redial button, I am always presing random buttons in the hopes that it's the right one. There are no symbols to indicate if there are messages or the use of keys. Most of the time, if I try to apply something that is prohibited, the phone line is blank and I am left for minutes just waiting.
The mapping of this phone has weak co-relation. There are at least 7 buttons that have no purpose whatsoever. There is no identification of a redial, recall or hold button. The codes that have to be punched in to get to lines are completely random and have no pattern or directions listed on the phone.
Due to the lack of visibility that I had just mentioned about the buttons and whatnot, I find this phone almost innoperable. It's like being blind. Also, there is a red flashing that indicates voicemail. This is nice, the hassle is that it doesn't identify to whom the message belongs. I could waste five minutes getting into my voicemail to find that it's for my roommate. There is no screen, caller ID or way to see the number you just dialed incase you have a mix-up with "wrong numbers".
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