One of the key features mentioned by Steve Jobs (and some folks in the blogosphere) is the enhanced Web experience on the iPhone courtesy of Safari. A demo is also available on the Apple website which shows how Safari renders web-pages on its screen. It’s clear that Apple believes that the an iPhone user should have a very similar browsing experience to a Mac user. This approach is akin to the one implemented by Nokia in its OSS browser, found in S60 3rd Ed phones (like the E61).
It is interesting to note that both the Safari and OSS browsers are based on Webkit, an open-source web browser engine. The differences lie in the interface; Apple uses a touchscreen while Nokia relies on either phone or QWERTY keypads.
One of the main limitations of the mobile web experience is the use of small screens in most mobile phones. Notable exceptions are “smartphones” like the Treo 650/680/700, SE P990 and Nokia E61/62 with approx. 2.8-inch screens. Phones based on Windows Mobile also use large screens, since a fair number of them are closer in design to PDAs than to phones. The iPhone sports a fairly large 3.5-inch screen, just like the Xda II/IIs series. In general, a bigger screen can offer a better web experience since more data can be displayed at one time.
However, the software also plays an important role. Based on my experiences with the IIs and E61, browsing on the E61’s smaller screen was much better mainly because the OSS browser trumps Pocket IE. I was never truly comfortable surfing with Pocket IE, even when using landscape mode and adjusting zoom settings. With the OSS browser, I’ve literally spent hours on the Web without missing my laptop. If the Web experience manages to be just as compelling on the iPhone, if not more so, than I’m sure that owners will be thrilled.
Of course, since most web pages are still optimized for large screen viewing, zooming is definitely a crucial function of mobile web browsers. In the case of Apple, zooming is performed using finger movements. It seems intuitive enough, and the zoom motion looks pretty smooth in the demo. As for Nokia, zooming is done in increments of 25 percentage points. On the E61, I often use 50% or 75% zoom. Most regular pages display nicely with these settings. Here are some screenshots:
I prefer the NY Times at 50% zoom, though pages with smaller pics may be more legible at 75% zoom. It isn’t seen in the screenshots, but another great feature of the OSS browser is the mini-map which appears when scrolling through the page. Scrolling is done using the joystick; a small cursor appears on the screen to allow you to click stuff.
Take note that this is only OSS v1.0. OSS v2.0, available in upcoming S60 3rd Ed FP1 Phones, promises to provide an even better browsing experience. Among the limitations of v1.0 are Flash Lite support up to v1.1 only, and difficulty with downloading files in some instances. V2.0 promises to address these and add more exciting features. Since the iPhone Safari browser shares its roots with the OSS browser, it’ll be nice to compare the two once they’re both released.
One area that may be compared briefly though is data entry. Based on this article, David Pogue of the New York Times spent some time with the iPhone & Steve Jobs. He really loved the unit, especially the Web browsing. However, he found typing using the “virtual” keyboard to be difficult. Software analysis (predictive text entry) helped a lot, but the lack of tactile feedback was still a factor.
With the E61, typing is a breeze since the “real” keypad feels good in your fingers. I have no problems sending long e-mails and text messages, or taking down short notes during meetings. Of course, this is my personal experience. For people who are “stylus-driven”, models like the Treo and P990 can offer the best of both worlds. In the case of Apple, we’ll still have to see how the general public adapts to finger tapping. In the meantime, feel free to check this out.
In conclusion, the Nokia E61 offers a highly enjoyable Mobile Web/e-mail experience because of the combination of the amazing OSS browser and a great QWERTY keypad. As long as Apple leapfrogs OSS with Safari, the iPhone will be a great Mobile Web device. As for e-mail, it might be too early to tell 
UPDATE: Here’s a link to a hands-on first look by iLounge. Enjoy!
