Mobiles reviews - touchscreen

Motorola Atila - Moto’s touchscreen answer to Apple’s iPhone 3G

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 20:37:26 +0000

Meet the Motorola Atila. This here all-touchscreen handset is reportedly Motorola’s touchy-feely answer to Apple’s iPhone 3G. The Motorola Atila is apparently borne of the same gene pool that created the Motorola Alexander. Thankfully, the Motorola Atila that you see pictured here nixes that too-weird sliding QWERTY keyboard on the Motorola Alexander. The Motorola Atila boasts [...]

HTC Touch Diamond hands-on

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 23:56:10 +0000

It’s finally here! The good folks at HTC have been good enough to send over an HTC Touch Diamond for consideration. I’ve been playing with this handsome little phone for the past few days, and let me just say, it’s the slickest Windows Mobile handset that I’ve ever had the pleasure of using - which [...]

Plica folding touchscreen concept - Two screens, no buttons, totally cool

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 01:15:25 +0000

Touchscreens are here to stay. Every manufacturer worth their salt on this planet has or is working on the ultimate in touchscreen mobility, but it’s safe to say that touchscreen technology has long-road ahead of it before it is usable enough to replace physical keys and buttons. Capacitance touchscreens, like that on the iPhone are [...]

Apple named in touchscreen device patent lawsuit over iPhone's touchscreen

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:46:39 +0000

We've already seen iPhone related lawsuits cropping up from legitimate patent holders as well as frivolous settlement-hunters. And, with the iPhone 3G set to go live on July 11, we're seeing another round of iPhone lawsuits start to surface. Typhoon Touch Technologies has just named Apple, in their multi-defendant lawsuit, for violating two patents regarding a [...]

HTC bringing HTC Diamond and HTC Raphael to Sprint with VGA touchscreens and WiFi

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:38:01 +0000

Coinciding with HTC's new marketing push in the US, it looks like HTC is set to take the US CDMA market by storm with a couple gorgeous touchscreen handsets destined for Sprint. Newly discovered documents detail plans for HTC to bring the HTC Diamond and HTC Raphael to the No. 3 US carrier Sprint's network [...]

Nokia shows off iPhone fighting Nokia Tube

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 21:24:57 +0000

The Finnish mobile phone giant is not about to let the iPhone take any of its dominant market away from Espoo. With the iconic iPhone redefining the user experience in mobile phones, Nokia has been toiling away with a touch-based competitor to the iPhone. With S60 Touch finally getting the touchscreen treatment that the Symbian [...]

Samsung F490 hands-on video from Mobile World Congress

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 18:03:45 +0000

Ok, if you like the Croix interface, you'll like the Samsung F490. The unique thing about this handset is that it pairs the Croix interface with a touch-sensitive display with haptic-feedback. Actually, like all Samsung handsets with vibration-feedback, the F490 uses a pseudo-haptic feedback system. The entire device vibrates to indicate a button/keypress, rather than [...]

Nokia files patent application for handset with fingerprint-scanning display

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 20:47:01 +0000

Here’s yet another novel patent application from Espoo. Finnish handset manufacturer, Nokia, has filed a patent application for a handset that uses a fingerprint scanner as a means of determining which user profile to display or verify security. But, this isn’t your run-of-the-mill fingerprint scanner. No, this patent application outlines a method to leverage a touch-sensitive display to pull double-duty as a fingerprint scanner. Nokia seems to be seting the stage to include more and more interesting features in its upcoming touch-based handsets . Nokia envisions a handset that would change its user interface depending on which user’s fingerprint was identified by the scanner - basically morphing the handset to a particular user’s preferences. Of course, the scanner could also be used to verify the user’s identity for security purposes. And, Nokia even makes provisions for the use of a “visual display cursor” to launch applications or features that are linked to a particular finger. Web browser? No problem, just scan your right middle-finger. Text messages? Simply scan your left ring-finger. Sounds pretty cool to us, we just hope Nokia has plans to implement this technology in future handsets. Oh, and sooner would be better than later. USPTO source [Via: CellPassion ] ---Related Articles at IntoMobile:Apple files for second pressure-sensitive touch display patentSony Ericsson files for patent on programmable touchscreen keypadNokia appeals German courts dismissal of Qualcomm lawsuitKDDI to offer Hitachi phone with fingerprint sensorNokia files patent for side-sliding mobile phone with QWERTY keyboard

Apple may be suing Nokia over touchscreen patents

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 19:41:22 +0000

So we all know that Nokia is working on an S60 Touch lineup. Touchscreens are the future and all the rage, so it makes sense that Apple’s starting to feel the pressure to keep ahead of the curve. Now, an analyst for London-based Nomura, Richard Windsor, is predicting that Apple may be unleash their legal hounds on Nokia over the 200+ iPhone-related patent filings. Windsor said, “I think Apple will likely view Nokia as infringing on its user interface patents,” and may choose to affect “delays or holdups” in Nokia’s push to release their touch-based interface. Right, it’s one thing to sue a competitor to actually get a valid injunction or court-order levied against them. But, it’s a completely different story if Apple decides to pursue legal options in order to simply delay and cause grief for Nokia. Windsor predicts that any court-case would end in a settlement by 2009. Neither company would want another Qualcomm-style legal battle on their hands - especially Nokia. We’re fairly confident that, should Apple decide to take Nokia to court, the end-game would be simply to make life harder on Nokia. The Finns have been making touchscreen devices for quite some time now, and Apple’s patent filings within the past several months will most likely not be sufficient grounds for any court-ordered injunction. Of course, there’s always the possibility that Apple could argue that Nokia is infringing on their iPhone’s user interface - but we know how well Apple was able to defend their Mac OS X user interface. [Via: MacDailyNews ] ---Related Articles at IntoMobile:Patents behind the iPhoneNokia pays to get access and use Wi-LAN's patentsNokia lawsuit against InterDigital set to start trial todayNokia gets sued by Interdigital, again, over 3G patent violationsZune phone patents

Nokia files patent for side-sliding mobile phone with QWERTY keyboard

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 20:50:58 +0000

Here’s an interesting tidbit from the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). We stumbled across this patent application, from none other than Nokia, that outlines a method to incorporate a “turn and slide” display that tilts upward to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard. Now, there have been numerous sliding-screen designs in an effort to combine the full-face screen (touchscreen in some cases) with a full, comfortably-sized QWERTY keyboard - there’s the inimitable Sidekick flip-display (Motorola Sidekick Slide excepted), the HTC Kaiser ’s ( AT&T Tilt ) slide-up and tilting display, and the laterally opening design on the Nokia E90 and HTC Omni . With all that competition, you would think Nokia would want to design a unique way to combine the full-face display with a QWERTY keyboard - and you’d be right. The USPTO patent application reveals Nokia’s intention to use a rotating “knob” on one end of the device that, when rotated, will slide the display to the side and tilt it upward for convenient viewing - unveiling a full QWERTY keyboard underneath. Interestingly, Nokia’s design sketches seem to hint at a full-touchscreen setup - indicated by the lack of buttons on the front-face of the device. Could this be destined to be part of Nokia’s S60 Touch lineup? A touch-based S60 device with a sliding and tilting display and a full QWERTY keyboard? Be still our beating hearts. We’re not sure if this patent application will actually materialize in the real-world, but we sure hope it will. Maybe Nokia will see fit to include some Haptikos haptic feedback as well? Fingers crossed. [Via: Unwired View ] ---Related Articles at IntoMobile:First Chinese-Keyboard Touchscreen SmartphoneApple sued for patent infringement - SP Technologies claims patent over iPhone's virtual keyboardRumor: Sprint to get new QWERTY slider from LG?PDA / Cell Phone Combo Patent Application - Cell Phone Tucked Inside PDAAnother Chinese phone with QWERTY keyboard; Runs Windows Mobile 5!

RIM to launch iPhone-fighting BlackBerry 9000/9xxx early next year

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 20:26:58 +0000

Wait a tick. Didn’t RIM CEO recently bash on the Apple iPhone’s touch-sensitive, virtual keyboard “that’s a real challenge” to use? Well, he did . But that doesn’t mean this latest speculation is any less true. Rumblings from the rumor mill have indicated that RIM is preparing the 9000-series smartphone to give the iPhone a run for its touchscreen-money. Development of the new 9000-series platform will see new hardware and mobile OS (software) coming out of RIM’s R&D labs. According to Carmi Levy, an analyst at AR Communications Inc. , the RIM BlackBerry 9000-series will be “the future of the BlackBerry franchise” - a stark contrast to the company’s traditionally business-oriented roots. “The 9000 is supposed to be a touch-screen device, very similar in form factor to the iPhone,” Levy says. “Which means that it is not an enterprise-friendly device.” RIM’s been branching out into the consumer-market with the recent BlackBerry Curve and Pearl handsets, and it looks like RIM is going to go full-out and take on the iPhone with a media-savvy, touch-based handset of their very own. The 9000-series BlackBerry will reportedly feature a full-face touchscreen and upgraded audio and video playback capabilities to supplement the iconic BlackBerry push-email feature. We’re also expecting US-friendly 3G frequency support and 600Mhz processor to power all those media-intense features. As we expected and mentioned previously, Levy believes that RIM will be launching the 9000-series BlackBerry in Q1 2008. The rest of RIM’s BlackBerry lineup will still see updates (like the 3G EVDO Pearl that recently hit CDMA carriers in the US), and a RIM VP stated that the company will be releasing 4 or 5 new smartphones for 2008. We can’t wait to see what RIM’s answer to the iPhone will look like. No, check that. We know what it will probably look like (there are only so many ways to implement a full-face touchscreen), we can’t wait to see how it actually works. It had better use a capacitance touchscreen if it plans to take on the iPhone. Balda , anyone? [Via: Unstrung ] ---Related Articles at IntoMobile:RIM secures BlackBerry 9100 and 9300 domainsRIM prepping 3G, iPhone-fighting BlackBerry 9000/9xxx?BlackBerry Curve? I mean BlackBerry 8300Another RIM BlackBerry outage?Sprint announces BlackBerry 8130 Pearl 2 for release next month

Nokia shows off some seriously cool haptic-feedback touchscreen tech - Haptikos takes haptic feedback to a whole new level

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 19:34:04 +0000

Touchscreens. We’ve been touting them as the future of mobile tech , and Nokia is backing it full-on. The Finns have basically perfected the pressure-sensitive side of touchscreen technology in their “Haptikos” (which means “to touch”) touchscreen. Nokia’s haptic feedback touchscreen doesn’t just give you pseudo-feedback vibrations and clicks (Samsung F700, we’re looking at you ), the Haptikos system actually provides a physical “clunk” and audible “click” directly under the depressed key. Combined with 0.1mm of screen-travel, the Haptikos system delivers a real-keyboard touchscreen experience. Roope Takala, Senior Program Manager at Nokia’s research labs explains the tech: “We inserted two small piezo sensor pads under the screen and engineered in a 0.1mm movement in the screen itself. What’s taken the time has been fine tuning the movement and response to mimic exactly the sensation of pressing a real key.” We’re looking for the upcoming S60 Touch handset to rock this new Haptikos system, and we can’t wait to get our hands (and fingers) on it - literally. Haptikos a definite step in the right direction. But, don’t be fooled into thinking that Haptikos, or any haptic feedback system that doesn’t provide static tactile feedback , will help with no-look touch-typing. While Haptikos is about as advanced as haptic touchscreens get (so far) and gives you definite feedback of a key-press, touch-typing requires an actual “feel” for the keys. Regardless, Nokia’s Haptikos is going to be the cat’s meow when it hits the market. [Via: Red Ferret ] ---Related Articles at IntoMobile:Chinese phone with WQVGA screen AND haptic feedbackThe first Chinese phone with haptic touchscreen feedbackApple patent filed for tactile touchscreen - raised, indented keysSamsung F700 Croix is pretty slick, slightly disappointingNokia files for patent application for "no-look" touchscreen controls