Sony has launched a new product category with the release of the new Mylo (my life online). It's a "WiFi broadband communication and entertainment device". It feels smaller than a typical smartphone, but has the advantage of being a WiFi device. That means broadband connectivity without the overhead of a cell radio, and as Sony puts it, "all play and no work."
This nifty little gadget slides open to reveal a very usable thumb board for typing, and no matter how many bad user interfaces you've seen in the past, this device proves that it can be done well. It's simple and fun to use. It feels so nice when the keyboard slides in and out that you might find yourself addicted and doing it unconsciously. And it has a fun looking colorful interface that actually makes it easy to use at the same time. I've seen too many flashy looking screens on devices that just get in the way of usability. This one is flashy and fun, but keeps it simple and easy to use.
There's some cool technology and design there like a 320x240 vibrant color screen, 1gig memory, expansion card slot (unfortunately it's a Memory Stick slot), and of course the slideout keyboard.
More about the specs and the device in general are available from the Sony
press release, but I think it's a lot more than the sum of it's parts. Sony has put this together in a way that people can communicate through email, instant messaging, interaction on web sites, even by Skype internet phone calls. The device is clearly about simplicity and usability. If you have a wifi connection you can surf the web. HTML surfing, not just that WAP stuff.
But most importantly, we have to note that large text files can be stored on the device which makes it a great little e-book reader for public domain e-books. You'll need decent eyesight because the font size is pretty small, but it's not prohibative, especially for younger users.
With the web browser and an online RSS feed reader, it should be a pretty good news reader device also.
When they say "fun" they aren't kidding. There's something fun about holding the device and looking at the screen, or using it to watch a video (regular MPEG4 files can be watched). Like I said, it's more than the sum total of the technology. I had heard comparisons to the Nokia 770 before, but I don't think that's a good analogy anymore.
The Mylo target audience is the 18-24 year old market, and this is likely to be very well-suited to them. Sophisticated enough to be useful, and simple and flashy enough to create interest. There's a lot of wifi available in homes these days as well as hotspots. The "kids" don't have to tie up the main PC to be online.
It has a user replaceable battery that can play 8 hrs of video, 45 hrs of mp3s, which is definitely nothing to sneeze at. The price is $350, but you get a lot. Besides a quality device, you get a Skype phone which nearly justifies the purchase all by itself. They started shipping yesterday, so they are now "in the wild" and hopefully we'll see them showing up at hotspots everywhere.
My personal preference is for power over "fun" or simplicity, so it's not quite the device for me, but there's a lot to be said for fun and simplicity. This might even be a device that introduces people to the technology and creates a gadget lover for life. It's also something that can be used more carelessly than a $600 smartphone that needs to be treated with care, and which requires a lot of maintenance work. The mylo is more of a "grab it and go" device.
I was surprised quite a bit by how nice it is. I thought it was going to be another curiousity that didn't really have a usefulness. Not so. I think it's a great new product category that will increase technology awareness for mobile devices. That's a very good thing in my book!