Mobile phone application design guidelines

Question

Any documents or articles that contain design guidelines for creating mobile phone applications? How applications should be built for ideal user experiences.

• User Interface & Keypad
• Graphics
• Languages

Links from specific manufacturers are also welcome.

Answer 1

Some application design wisdom:

• behaviour is consistent or predictable
• feedback is provided
• the user's memory is not strained
• dialogue is task-oriented

Answer 2

• Help the user avoid laborious text-entry (this applies to all phones except my beloved Samsung i760 and all other phones with a full physical keyboard)
• Keep the screens as sparse and simple as possible - avoid the urge to cram as many controls and as much text and graphics onto a form as will fit
• Don't write applications like "Shake the Baby"
• Remember to test your application outside in full sunlight - mobile apps are a lot like vampires
• Avoid device- and manufacturer-specific code whenever possible

Answer 3

• high contrast (sunlight issue that MusiGenesis mentioned)
• I tend to prefer 100% widths on everything to accommodate for multiple widths
• For larger projects, I'll incorporate WURFL to at least get the device's screen dimensions and adjust necessary pieces like font size and or fixed-width graphics

Answer 4

Microsoft's design guidelines for Windows Mobile applications is fairly okay and makes sense for most mobile applications in general: Design Guidelines