Mobile terminal having improved user interface

A cellular telephone (10) has a user interface (5) that includes an actuator (23) for inputting information to the telephone. The actuator extends from a surface of the telephone and has multiple degrees of freedom for selecting at least individual ones of numeric digits 0 through 9. Indicia representing individual ones of the numeric digits 0 through 9 in addition to the characters * and # may be arrayed about the actuator, and may correspond to a clock face, wherein the indicia "1" corresponds to the 1:00 position, and wherein one of the indicia "*" and "#" corresponds to the 12:00 position. Alternatively, digits may be displayed to the user in an n by m matrix format. Further in accordance with this invention the user interface also includes a display (20) disposed on the surface. The display is capable of displaying characters with a non-perpendicular orientation (e.g., a diagonal orientation) relative to a longitudinal axis of the telephone, and enables the display size to be increased relative to a conventional LCD character display orientation. The display may also be windowed.