Light is the new black
Light is definitely the new MUST-HAVE item in mobile device decoration. Thanks to its intangible, versatile nature and new innovative technologies, not every device has to look the same. You can do just about anything with light.
Light can come as spots, lines or figures. It can flow, flit, blink, transform and change colors. And best of all, it can make plain old functionalities look good and exciting!
| Light decorations can be used on both plastic and metal surfaces. Technologies that enable different light applications include micro-perforation on sheet metals, integrated LED light sources and LED foils.The LITEONMOBILE roadmap for light includes several applications ready to be included in programs this year already. |
Move it on up!
Moving light catches the eye very effectively. It can direct the user to take a closer look at something that needs immediate attention, such as an incoming call or message from a VIP number when the device is muted. Pulsating light around the power plugin indicates the need to charge the battery. Very intuitive and user-friendly.
Light can also follow your touch. Turning the volume up or down just by sliding the finger on the device cover, the light indicating the direction and the selected level, definitely feels nicer and more illustrative to use than just clicking the volume buttons.
| Non-display-related touches are an area of fast-quickly growing interest in mobile devices. An extended user interface, more intuitive touch-based functions and versatile possibilities of integrated touch areas are all drivers for novel embedded solutions. Capacitive touch technology enables all this in a thin, in-moulded cost-efficient package. |
Once again, the whole concept of the user interface is constantly transforming. It is not just the buttons and the display anymore; the whole device is turning into an interface.
True colors
Color is one of the features for light, expressing different things: urgency, emotion, availability, brand image. Talking about brands: with RGB codes the LEDs may produce any color on the scale – why not make the vendor’s logo glow in exactly the right brand color?
With colored light it is also possible to change the way the whole device looks. Lights can be used in the display and keymat, but also to glow on the sides or to line the whole device. It is also possible to create different color sets for the user to choose from: white for work, brighter colors for the evening, or perhaps red to match a particular item of clothing.
Now you see it – now you don’t
Figures, ornaments and patterns create a strong visual image for a device – but being visible all the time, they may loose their charm quite quickly. When creating the same figures with light, you add versatility: there might be different figures that come out in random or the pattern can change colors. Or then they may also be just turned off. In the latest applications the figures may also come as layers, transform, grow – or even breathe! Instead of being just high-tech tools for mobile communications, handsets are becoming like organic creatures, living things. Still remember the tamagotchis?