When it comes to touchscreens, it seems everyone's got a different preference. Some like the color depth and responsiveness of capacitive. Others prefer the haptic goodness of physical feedback or the precision of a stylus on a resistive screen.
Well, HTC might be working out some interesting tech for at least two out of three of you. The Taiwanese mobile phone maker has patented a magnetic stylus that works on capacitive displays.
Typically, a stylus has to dig hard enough on a layered, resistive screen so that the hardware registers the input. Capacitive, on the other hand, offers a richer display that's sensitive ? maybe even too sensitive ? to finger taps or swipes. Those of us with iPhones or G1s, for example, often activate unintended links when trying to click on something nearby.
HTC's goal was to retain precision using a responsive screen that didn't require so much hard pressing. So the company came up with a new idea. By using a magnet, the HTC stylus generates a current that registers on a capacitive display just as a finger tap or swipe would.
I've never been a huge fan of the stylus, but frankly, I?m starting to change my tune. While fingers may be practical and handy ? let's face it, you always have one on you ? they are also terrible for hitting small links or buttons. Some of us have fingernails that get in the way, while others have thick, sausage fingers that make those itty bitty links almost impossible to click. Thankfully, those of us who don't mind using a separate implement may soon have a new tool to play with.
[via PhoneArena]
