Nokia research on the user experience of web browsing on mobile phones

Mobile web browsing
Web Browsing on Mobile Phones – Characteristics of User Experience” is the title of the doctoral dissertation of Virpi Roto, senior research scientist in Mobile HCI at Nokia Research.

Dissertation abstract:

Browsing the Web with a small mobile phone may sound absurd at first. The increasing importance of the Internet means, however, that a person should be able to access Web services even when not sitting in front of a computer. Since there are approximately three times more mobile phones than computers in the world, a mobile phone may provide the only way to access the Web for many people.

Technically, it has been possible to access the Internet on a mobile phone for several years already, but the mobile browsing experience has often been cumbersome for ordinary people. Understanding the user needs in different use contexts is the key to improving the user experience and thereby popularising device independent access to Internet.

In her dissertation research, Virpi Roto has interviewed users of mobile browsers in several countries, and identified characteristics that help improve the mobile browsing user experience if taken into consideration. In addition to user and use context, all the system components should be taken into account: device, browser, network infrastructure, and web site. A partial outcome of the research is a visualisation method called Minimap, which has gathered publicity as the first practical way to view Web pages on a mobile phone. The method has been used in Nokia S60 phones since 2006.

The dissertation was presented for public examination and debate at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and Helsinki University on 8 December 2006.

Download dissertation (pdf, 0.9 mb, 88 pages)
Minimap visualisation method

3 Comments

  1. […] Putting 2.7 billion in context: Mobile phone usersHow many mobile phones in use today? In use today, yes, … Three times as many mobile phones as automobiles or personal computers. About twice as many mobile phone owners as those of fixed landline phones or credit cards. …Nokia research on the user experience of web browsing on mobile phonesBrowsing the Web with a small mobile phone may sound absurd at first. The increasing importance of the Internet means, however, that a person should be able to access Web services even when not sitting in front of a computer. …Google Phone HereWe do know that these Samsung Phones will be equipped with Google Mobile … Samsung and Google Align to Create Rich Experience for Mobile Phone Users Worldwide … Samsung mobile phones equipped with GoogleTM applications will enable …CES Mobile Media NewsGo for Mobile 2.0, a beta application for mobile phones available from 8 January. Yahoo! has agreed to have the application embedded in various Motorola, Nokia, Samsung and BlackBerry handsets from the first half of this year, …LG Mobile Phones and Verizon Wireless Announce the LG VX9400 …LG Mobile Phones and Verizon Wireless Announce the LG VX9400 to Support V CAST Mobile TV Handset Features Innovative Form-Factor Designed Specifically for New Service Media Contact Info … (LG Mobile Phones) Source: news.vzw.com … service.symantec.com fix it fix it first fix it tools mr fix it house picture easel fix it software utility frigidaire refrigerator repair fix it windows 95 deleted files recovery fix it yourself fix it jesus mr fix it memo holder mac fix it aol fix it opening a computer fix it business fix it tv shows fix it hairspray windows 95 deleted files recovery fix it yourself fix it yourself auto download vcom fix it utilities 4.0 do it yourself cards fix credit newgoodcredit com fix it 5 ontrack fix it v4.0 « Late breaking news   […]

  2. […] “Web Browsing on Mobile Phones – Characteristics of User Experience” è il titolo della tesi di dottorato di Virpi Roto, ricercatore della Nokia. Nell’abstract della tesi si può leggere di come Roto ritenga fondamentale capire i bisogni degli utenti, in differenti contesti, al fine di migliorare l’esperienza d’uso nell’accesso tramite cellulare ad Internet.  […]

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