The touchscreen market has been a long time coming, it's fair to say. Since the first time a touchscreen was shown in 1971, its use in small devices, where screen space is at a premium, has been inevitable.The problem with touchscreen technology was it was TOO futuristic; the sort of thing that could revolutionise so many things, and the little problem of the necessary development was all too negligible in the public's collective eyes.
So the question of 'when will we see touchscreen phones' should really have read: 'when will the tipping point come between cost, battery life and performance so it makes sense to use it in a phone?'
It's a less interesting and more wordy question, but still valid.
Long time coming
And the answer to that can be found in the iPhone. There's no doubting Apple was working with touch interfaces since the early 90s, and the concept of the iPhone was dreamt up not long after the first iPod at the turn of this century.
But making a touchscreen is one thing; to get it right is quite another. And there's no denying the iPhone's interface is pure perfection at the moment: smooth, responsive and above all, accurate; the touchscreen the mass market has been clamouring after for decades.
But how did Apple manage to come in and steal the thunder from a saturated mobile market? Why didn't another manufacturer, one with years of handset building experience, knock out the touchscreen device to beat all others?
Well, the answer to THAT lies with LG. Despite being fairly new to the handset arena itself, it can be seen as a pioneer in the touchscreen market. It has over 45 patents in this area, and has released and sold more touchscreen phones than any other company.
That's right: LG has sold more touchscreen phones than Apple in not much more time.
iPhone vs the Viewty
We were having a discussion in the offices of TechRadar recently, debating the performance of the iPhone vs. that of the Viewty, LG's top touchscreen seller.
I was arguing the case for the Viewty, my trusted device for almost a year, while one of my colleagues was making the case for his new iPhone.
The discussion boiled down to a simple question: 'Why did LG miss a trick with the Viewty? It could have made an awesome touchscreen on a pretty well-stocked handset, but didn't.'
(A question and a statement, granted, but still, you get the gist.)
His argument was simple (and valid): The iPhone is as close to device perfection as anyone has seen for years.
And it's true, the iPhone is great. The touchscreen is swishy and swoopy (if you've ever played with one, you'll know what I mean). The screen is large and bright, and the 'keys' are accurate when pressed.
The LG Viewty's screen is like that of the iPhone, only a step or two behind on every point. You have to 'throw' screens to scroll them, you have an ever-so-slight lag when each key is pressed (the Viewty also packs haptic feedback, but that matches the press in the lag stakes too), and the screen is a little smaller.
Basically, good but not as good. Had the iPhone never appeared it would probably be the best in class.
Apple: zero to hero
But this isn't a debate about whether the iPhone is better than the Viewty: it's about how Apple got the touchscreen so right.
However, the fact the iPhone has such a good interface actually isn't cutting it on a global scale. LG recently showed it has sold over seven million touchscreen handsets, and will continue as market leader for some time yet.
The reason for this is also the reason Apple has done so well with the iPhone, which has only sold around five million units in both the first version and the new 3G iteration.
Apple only has one device. You either want an iPhone or you don't. But LG has worked out lots of ways to enter the touchscreen into the psyche of the masses worldwide, and it's paying off.
The Viewty, Voyager and Venus have all been big sellers, but mix things up nicely for the consumer. For instance, the first is all touch and no keys, while the latter teams the touchscreen with a full set of buttons too.
Future
"We were a true pioneer in touchscreen phones, applying for a total of 49 patents while developing the Prada Phone by LG," said Dr. Skott Ahn, President & CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company.
"From the beginning we have worked to create phones that are extremely easy to use despite their myriad features. This is why our touchscreen phones have been so well received around the world.
"As the market for touchscreen phones continues to grow we will also continue our research in this area to create even more innovative products."
Marketing spin aside, the point is LG has been the one hard at work on the interface, and is primed to deliver it to the markets in the ways it wants. Apple's iPhone might be universally popular, but LG has models for the US market, Europe, Asia and Africa.
Its diverse touch options are the reason it has sold so many handsets, and given the global touchscreen handset market will reach 125 million units by 2010 (according to Strategy Analytics), it is well-primed to still be jostling at the front come that date.
Of course, Apple will probably have outsold it by then. Nokia will have joined the touchscreen market in a big way, and Samsung and Sony Ericsson will likely have a few decent offerings too.
But the public mustn't forget one crucial thing: touchscreens are still a LONG way from perfect. They eat battery, they can be 10 times more responsive and accurate, and above all, they aren't always needed.
So hats off to both LG and Apple, for they have proven what is needed to bring this technology to the market, and have both sacrificed a lot to do so.
source : http://www.techradar.com/
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