Neo is Microsoft’s latest undertaking in the ever-growing UX (User Experience) customization market. Technically a joint project between Microsoft and T-Mobile, Neo is a visually pleasing Home screen overlay that allows users to easily access data and perform basic tasks. It ships on T-Mobile’s latest Windows Mobile 6 Standard device, the Shadow (HTC Juno).
Neo is a graphically pleasing user interface (UI) that’s designed from the ground up to make navigating around your phone both easy and fun to watch. The standard Home screen on a Windows Mobile smartphone presents a lot of information on a single screen in an attempt to minimize scrolling by the user. Neo simplifies the UI, displaying application icons on the left side of the screen. As you scroll through these icons, the display automatically morphs into a graphically pleasing display of the selected content. As it is implemented on the Shadow, you can scroll to the T-Mobile “myFaves” screen, a Notifications screen, the Message Center, Appointments, the Internet, Music, My Photos, and a Settings screen.
The overall look and feel of Neo makes it obvious that it's aimed squarely at younger messaging-centric users who want their information quickly and easily, as opposed to Windows Mobile’s classic enterprise/business niche. We were able to catch up with the Neo Developer Lead, Jay Ongg, who was able to clarify this a little for us:
“Microsoft realized that too much information on the Home screen caused information overload for the typical younger user. Therefore, the interface was designed with an important objective; fun simplicity."
The new Neo Home screen (left) and the original smartphone Home screen (right).
After playing with the interface, I have to say that the objective was met. Each screen is easy to understand, and provides just enough information to lead the user to his or her goal. According to Jay, a variety of additional plug-ins for Neo were considered, but later scrapped to avoid confusing the user.
Where is Microsoft going with Neo, and what has it accomplished for carrier customization? According to Jason Tuck, a Program Manager on the Neo project, "With Neo we opened up a new model of thinking by incorporating more ideas from operators and addressing specific users and target segments."
As you scroll through the Neo UI on the Shadow, various content is displayed, including the T-Mobile "myFaves" screen (left) and the Music screen (right).
Without a doubt, we are seeing a revolution of sorts in the Windows Mobile world—exciting times lay ahead! For more information on Neo or Shadow, take a look at allshadow.com, an enthusiast site that has sprung up around the Shadow. To visit the official T-Mobile Shadow Web page, go to t-mobile.com/shop/phones, click on "Handhelds & Sidekicks," and then select the Shadow from the list.
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