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The handset user interface is the key differentiator for high end smartphones, and increasingly mid-range webphones, and in order to support a strong mobile web experience, operators and users are looking for higher levels of personalization. Two players highlighted their efforts in this direction at the recent Mobile Internet World show in Boston.

Israel-based InfoGin, whose technology enables even basic webphones to have full access to any web sites, has now stepped up its efforts in flexible UIs. It unveiled a platform for high end devices that it claims will drive increased consumption of off-portal content. It uses the native capabilities of built-in browsers but provides carriers with a customization interface, which lets them enhance the user experience by expanding and collapsing navigation menus, advanced auto-scrolling and toggling between content views, and other improvements.

Meanwhile, a larger player also looking to drive the customizable UI space, despite competition from other majors like Qualcomm with UIone (used by O2 and Alltel). Samsung is about to launch TouchWiz in the US. This UI has already been seen outside the US on handsets such as the SGH-F480/TouchWiz and Omnia, and supports specially designed widgets enabling users to customize and personalize their mobile experience, with one-touch access to favorite applications.

TouchWiz organizes widgets within a tray located on the left side of the phone's homescreen; users drag and drop icons spotlighting the mobile web, music, messaging services, games, search, navigation services and account updates. Any TouchWiz phone may include operator specific widgets for direct access to the carrier's custom services.

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