The Realistic Future of Mobiles According to Android

Sharing Android Experience

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Matias Duarte, Google's Director of Android User Experience, says smartphones must function the way people expect
• "I want everything can you touch on the screen to operate like objects in the real world do," he says
• Duarte reckons gesturing and "tangibility" as big upcoming developments in mobile phone technology
• Says that Android is "a gift" Google are giving to the world

CNN reported that in the future we will have screens not just in the palm of our hands, but all around us, according to Matias Duarte, Google's Director of Android User Experience.

Talking to CNN at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Duarte reckoned gesturing and "tangibility" as the next major developments in mobile phone technology.

Mozilla to launch mobile phones with Firefox

"Computers have to work the way people expect and not the other way round. I want everything can you touch on the screen to operate like objects in the real world do. That doesn't mean they have to look like copies of objects in the real world, but they have to be tangible and physical and delightful," he said.

He admits that when we are using a mobile phone, it brings us emotional experience. "In the old days we used to be poking at phones. If I were to start poking you, you wouldn't like it, but when you start stroking, it's a totally different message," said by Duarte. Now a days, we only appreciate things made by a couple of fingers, and on small screens which are always in the palm of our hands.

Why life through Google Glass should be for our eyes only

"In the future, we will look at the gestures of your entire body, facial expressions, arms, all of the fingers that you have, and you're going to have screens not just in the palm of your hand, but all around you," he said.

Duarte assures that Google would never fasten down on the user's ability to customize Android on their mobile phones. And he added that one of the biggest quests or challenges for Android was to design a strong foundation that could work for everybody or in the community and could still be customized. "We don't look at a single target market, we try to think of this as a gift we're giving to the world and that's a big responsibility we take very seriously. I want it to be computing power for everyone. I want it to connect people, and make it open and free, not controlled by any company or any government."