New phone features 'baffle users'

The complexity of modern mobile phones is leaving users frustrated and angry, research suggests.
Some 61% of those interviewed in the UK and US said setting up a new handset is as challenging as moving bank accounts.
Compiled by mobile firm Mformation, the survey found 85% of
users reporting they were frustrated by the difficulty of getting a new
phone up and working.
Of the 4,000 people questioned, 95% said they would try more new services if phones were easier to set up.
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Mformation spokesman Matthew Bancroft said users were frustrated by having to call an operator or look online for help.
"There is an enormous range of things modern phones are capable
of doing but the paradox is that many people are not using these
capabilities," he said.
Of those questioned, 95% said they would be more likely to use new features if the initial set-up were easier.
Mr Bancroft said bad experiences turned people off trying to get more from their phone.
"If an application does not work once or twice, they just will not use it or try again," he said.
Some 61% of those questioned said they stopped using an application if they could not get it working straight away.
Mr Bancroft said setting up a new phone should take only 15
minutes but many people were spending an hour or more to get the
handset to do what they wanted.
He added that most people wanted to do such tasks as browsing
the web, reading e-mail, or sending picture messages, but the
complexity of modern handsets was leaving them foxed.
Industry work on standards for basic handset operations could help the situation, said Mr Bancroft.
As phones packed in more processing power, he said, that
computational ability could be used to anticipate what users were doing
and help them find their way around the handset.
Geoff Blaber, director of devices, software and platforms at
mobile analysts CCS Insight, said the problem of phone configuration
was one operators were trying to tackle.
Many, he said, had invested in staff training and in-store help
desks to get customers using more of the features on their phones.
Touch screen interfaces as seen on Apple's iPhone were showing how this could be done, he said.
Having icons for all a phone's available services at hand was better than burying them in a sub-menu, said Mr Blaber.
Some operators were also working hard to ensure that phones were
configured before purchase so services switched on with the phone.
There were good business reasons for helping phone owners do more with their handset, he said.
"Operators are trying to move revenues away from a reliance on voice and text which are declining," he said.
"To make that transition they need to be sure that the services are identifiable and easy to configure and use," he added.





To be quite honest i find even sending a text is complicated if they could find a way of making it easier it would be good .

hahaha come on texts are straight forward

Good Morning Vonsparks - As I see it - SMS are a way of life for you and your age group LOL - you grew up knowing how to do them (in your sleep as wel I have no doubtl!!!) spare a thought for the likes of me (and a few others on this site) - recycled teenagers who were bought up without technology.....and be warned, in the far distant future when you are in 'late middle age' remember this and know why you find the 'innovations of the day' difficult to get you aged head around....... :(

Airtel-Vodafone are teaming up with GTA (The Guernsey Training Agency), to provide a course that will help people that struggle with their mobile phone or people who have not yet entered the world of mobile phones.

The course will cover areas such as: texting, making a call, adding contacts to a phone and general navigation of a handset. This course will be ideal for anybody who is a beginner in terms of mobile phone technology and would like to be able to use their handset confidently for the basics.

This course will be running on the 5th, 12th and 19th of March. For more information on the course or details regarding booking please get in touch with Andrew Sauvage (Airtel-Vodafone Marketing Analyst.)

E-mail: andrew.sauvage@airtel-vodafone.gg

like karma i am a recycled teenager.whilst i can compose a text and send it i find that some aspects of mobile phones are far to complicated.accessing the www form my phone is beyond me although when other peeps are using it they make it appear so easy.mind you all i want a phone for really is to make and receive a phone call.

Speed dial has gone straight over my head ... duh!!!!

Learn from the young adults....... they find technology soooooooo easy! lol.....

Yep I'd learn - but my 19 year old grand son thinks I built the ark!!!!!

So use that to your advantage when it starts to rain heavily! ha.......

You mean you haven't been in my back yard....... :)