Synaptics Brings Touch to Low-End Phones and High-End Games
Synaptics, maker of the touchscreens on several phones, including the Google phone from T-Mobile and the LG Samsung Instinct, has benefited as touch has been added to all kinds of devices — its seen a boost to both its profits and its number of customers. The company today introduced a new touchscreen that allows for 8-inch screen sizes and 10-finger gestures, as well as a low-end product that allows for basic one- and two-finger gestures. The more advanced product is likely for netbooks or phones, and could even be used as more of a touchpad rather than a touchscreen. Synaptics says it could be used for gaming or navigating 3D interfaces. These high-end touchscreens will be available to manufacturers in November, so don’t expect to see them in devices for another year or so.
The low-end touchscreen, meanwhile, will allow folks who don’t want to buy a high-end phone the fun of single-finger gestures such as tap, double tap, tap and slide, pinch, press and flick. The lower-end product will fit screens up to 4.3 inches. And if touch can make web site navigation on feature phones easier, it will be a boon to carriers trying to push more data plans on its customers.
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I don’t mean to nit pick, but Instinct is a phone made by Samsung, not LG.
Good catch. Fixed.