Mobile Usability

In reading the two articles (Mobile Usability Update 2011 & Tablet Usability 2013), as someone who owns both a tablet and touch phone, I do agree with the fact that companies still have a ways to go in improving the web experience with those types of devices. I especially noticed this in the tablet study. My tablet is an Android based, and one of my biggest complaints regarding apps, is that many of the apps are simply blown-up versions of the apps for phones. This is a problem that seems less common on the iPad.

My disappointment in this is that they don’t take advantage of the extra screen space that a tablet provides. In situations like that, I often find myself using the web page itself instead of the app. The downside to this is that a well-designed app is typically faster and easier to navigate than a web page. The website, while it may provide the most usability and information, can be hampered by the web browser that you’re using (and there is no shortage of good and bad browsers out there).

Another issue I agree with is in the use of mobile websites. A major issue I have is when using my phone and a mobile website is available, either the website does not provide an easy way to find it (if I’m not taken to it automatically). It also works the other way when I’m using my tablet and I’m taken automatically to a mobile site, often an easy way to get to the full desktop site is not available.

One thing I didn’t agree with was from the 2013 study regarding gestures. I’ve not had issues regarding gestures when navigating apps. My tablet has a ten-inch screen, so seeing everything in the app or a web site is usually not a problem for me, so I typically don’t find myself missing things that I’m intentionally looking for. I can see where this could be an issue for those that either have smaller tablets (like the iPad mini) or have difficulty seeing.

I am happy to see that, according to both of the studies, companies do appear to be working to improve the mobile web experience for all users (minus the function phones, which are quickly becoming obsolete).