Rumor: Apple to add tactile feedback to iPhone
The current iPhone does not give sensory feedback when a person presses keys on its touchscreen.
(Credit: CNET Networks)An anonymous Apple employee says company executives are in talks with Immersion to license its haptic technology for use in the iPhone, according to a report at Palluxo.com.
Haptic technology gives people sensory feedback--in the form of a vibration or pressure--when they use a touchscreen. Essentially, it makes touching a key on a touchscreen more akin to pressing a real button. Right now, the iPhone interface does not have that kind of interactivity, which can make using the touchscreen more challenging because there is no sensory indication that a key has been touched and the phone has registered it.
In separate news, Immersion on Thursday named Clent Richardson its new president and CEO. According to Immersion's press release, Richardson has previously held prominent positions at TiVo, Nortel, T-Mobile, and a little company called Apple. From that release:
Previously, at Apple, he reported to the co-founder and CEO as vice president of worldwide developer relations and worldwide solutions marketing and built and led a global team that established and strengthened developer and customer relationships around the world. During his more than five years with Apple, Richardson was also senior manager of evangelism, responsible for building and leading a worldwide team that managed global strategic relationships with Adobe, AOL, IBM, Microsoft, Motorola, Sun, and other industry leaders for all Apple divisions.
So it wouldn't be too surprising if it turns out Richardson is getting back in touch with old friends and forming ties between Apple and his new company.
Immersion's VibeTonz feedback technology is already in use in more than 10 million mobile phones, including the LG Voyager VX10000 and Samsung SCH-A930, according to the company. And its medical division creates tactile feedback technology for virtual surgery systems that help train surgeons.
Jennifer Guevin is assistant managing editor of CNET News. She focuses on science and green tech. But she also makes the occasional contribution to CNET's kitchen gadgets blog or writes about the latest Web distraction. Once a week, she takes the mic as host of CNET's Daily News Podcast. E-mail Jennifer. 
The phone provides VISUAL feedback of key presses. And if you want (by default) provides aural feedback. So, why where is there a need for tactile feedback? This is a phone, not a console controller. Also, since there are no hard buttons, having tactile feedback in the form of vibration is not going to suddenly make it possible to use the iPhone (for dialing, texting, etc) without looking down at the screen.
So, again, what's the point?
Tactile response does in fact result in not having to stare at the screen. It is true for keyboards and certainly true for the better phones out there like the higher end Nokias.
be an option that you can turn off or on as needed.
--mark d.
This isn't a new concept, Microsoft is the king of milking a cash cow.
Sadness ensues.
The current one is the first gen (G1) EDGE version
The next one is the second gen (G2) G3 version
and the one with Tactile support will be third gen (G3) G3 version.
Yay gens!
except for the sound and visual feedback. i guess this article doesn't count those as senses. that's some nice writing there, cnet.
it makes sense they would add this. i wouldn't count on it, but it makes sense. people are such babies about the virtual keyboard on the iphone.
One thing I noticed, however, is that Safari on the iPhone provides a widescreen keyboard for entering URLs when the iPhone is horizontally oriented. If Apple could add the ability to rotate the screen sideways when working with text and e-mail (i.e. offer the same widescreen keyboard for these functions), I think typing would be a LOT easier.
Anyone know if this is in the cards for 2.0?
-Mister Winky
touched and the phone has registered it" about the iPhone is
simply wrong. The may not be any tactile feedback, but one
can see the key has been touched, both because the key
enlarges and the letter is added to the text string involved, so
there is visual confirmation. Sight is one of the senses and
provides sensory indications. The iPhone does also react when
touched letting one know if the act registered.
I also must point out that states of being are held in verbs in
English, not nouns. Thus, "there isn't any sensory..." not "no
sensory," however colloquial. Rather lazy writing all the way
around.
- by indiaforex July 13, 2009 3:20 AM PDT
- I think it's a great idea but I don't think it's going to be executed correctly. I mean, you're still going to need to look at it - I don't think the actuators are going to give enough definition to the button.
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