HTC Director of User Experience Drew Bamford has revealed some of the company’s future plans for its multi-platform Sense interface, in an interview with Forbes magazine. Bamford, who’d previously expressed some reserved frustration with Microsoft’s contraints on Windows Phone 7 customizability, envisions Sense both enhancing on-device capabilities as well as moving beyond the phone and into the living room. HTC plans to bring a digital bookstore to American handsets, similar to the Kobo-powered one it preloads in Europe, while also incorporating its own native video chat functionality and possibly even phone-as-DVR capabilities.

This latter feature only makes sense when handsets become more integrated with televisions, and HTC has taken the first step towards that goal with a self-branded set-top box that uses the DLNA standard to stream content from phone to TV. Eventually, HTC sees 4G devices replacing the need for home internet service, with phones becoming the primary vehicle for distributing content around the house.

Also on tap, according to Bamford, are more implementations of what he calls “natural interaction,” wherein your phone is able to “interpret the things you would naturally do with it…anticipating what you want it to do without being explicit.” Current examples of such functionality include lowering the ring volume when the handset is picked up, or hanging up a call when it’s placed face-down.

Source: Forbes

Via: MobileBurn