iPhone dials up touch-screen lookalikes

Host of followers likely to mimic Apple move

The iPhone launch this Friday is likely to spark a host of lookalike touch-screen smartphones that either dispense with keyboards entirely or demote their role.

Although primarily aimed at a consumer audience, these devices could also have a big impact on business in visualising data, for example, or for use in environments where using keyboards is difficult.

Some makers have already leapt ahead with models such as the LG Prada and HTC Touch, while Nokia has shown off the Aeon concept model. However, if the iPhone is a hit, many more could follow.

One component-level source for such products could be Nuance. The speech software leader announced last Friday that it is to acquire Tegic Communications, the company best known for its ubiquitous T9 predictive-text software.

Together the firms said they plan to build “multimodal” user interfaces combining speech, touch and predictive capabilities.

Stuart Potchinsky, Nuance vice-president of international marketing, said he expects to see broad interest in iPhone-like designs but played down the suggestion that keyboard-less devices could prevail over traditional models.

“Maybe the keyboard will go away but I think some people will need it,” Potchinsky said. “[Nuance speech-recognition product line] Dragon has been around a long time but people still use keyboards. Most of the main operators will be looking at [iPhone-style] technology but a lot of people will be standing by watching to see what happens.”

Analysts suggest that some designs could take the concept further by reacting to a broader variety of touches by pen or finger, or by interpreting gestures such as finger or hand movements in a manner similar to the Nintendo Wii.

That change will be a bonanza for makers of specialist components. A recent survey by market researcher iSuppli suggests sales of touch-screens will shoot up from $2.4bn in 2006 to $4.4bn in revenue by 2012, for example.

However, while rivals are confident of the their ability to mimic Apple’s multi-touch capability – where more than one finger can be used to create commands such as “reduce size” – software applications that recognise such instructions are still in their infancy.

Also, some analysts suggest that the screens and related technologies to mimic the iPhone could act to the detriment of other features and battery life.