SMS Usage Satisfaction: Influences of Hand Anthropometry and Gender

Hand anthropometry and gender influences on Short Message Service (SMS) usage satisfaction were investigated using structured questionnaire interviews with 110 participants. The collected data were then filtered, resulting in a total of 73 participants. Hand-size, thumb length, circumference and mobile phone dimensions were recorded. Focus was on keypad design factors, which include: key size, shape, layout, texture, simplicity and space between keys. Females were found to be more satisfied with the key size and layout than males. Significant differences were noted among subjects with different hand-size with respect to key size and space between keys. One of the recommended improvements is to have larger keys with more space between them for those with large hand-size. The results obtained can be used by mobile phone designers to design customized mobile phones; for example, mobile phones that suit users with larger hands and thumbs, especially males.

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