Momentum: The Mobile Phone Market

Haptics momentum has been building in the mobile phone market. At this writing, over 35 million mobile phones have shipped with Immersion haptic feedback, with over 90 phone models (PDF) launched since 2005. In other industries, the benefits that haptics provides to users is also beginning to be recognized.

You can see it happening.

The December 31, 2007 issue of Computerworld magazine wrote about the top 10 trends that would affect personal technology in 2008:

“Haptics will show up with shocking frequency this year in cell phones and other mobile devices. In some cases, haptics will help compensate for the disappearance of buttons in cell phones. . . haptics will also return to its roots by improving game play on cell phones. One way or the other, haptics will shake up the gadget industry in 2008.” (Eagan, Mike. 2007. Top 10 Trends: No. 9, The year of haptic feedback. Computerworld).

Then, Popular Mechanics devoted major parts of its April 2008 issue to How Haptics Will Change the Way We Interact With Machines.

A search of blog topics from Nov. 9, 2007 through today shows increasing incidence of the words “haptic” and “haptics.”

Advertising and Consumer Awareness

Advertising by handset OEMs and wireless operators, and the resulting consumer awareness, contributed to increasing momentum for haptics in the marketplace. Haptics has been highlighted as a key feature in high-volume handsets in Korea, Europe, and the U.S. In particular, Samsung and LG have launched consumer advertising campaigns that focus on the haptic features of popular models in Korea:

1. Samsung SCH-W420 Haptic phone commercial (video)
2. LG "Touch the Wonder" Cyon phone commercial (video)
3. Korea’s SBS news on Samsung's Haptic phone (video)

Brisk Sales

According to press reports, Samsung's "Haptic phone" led the market in phone sales in Korea during the first half of this year, with 340,000 units sold from April through June. The Haptic2 phone, introduced in October, sold 100,000 units in its first 4 weeks. In the U.S., Sprint is heavily promoting Samsung’s Instinct phone with haptics technology. A week after launching it on June 19, Sprint announced that the Instinct broke their record for the highest sales of any device during the first week.

Haptic Implementations

Implementations have varied over the years, and some of the more successful and creative uses of haptics include:

1. Vibe ringers for personalization and silent-mode caller ID
2. Downloadable games with console-like rumble action
3. Ramp-down touch feedback cue to signal dropped calls
4. Confirmation for touchscreen interactions
5. Emulation of mechanical properties (making onscreen radio knob feel more mechanical)
6. Synchronization with accelerometer input (to make a dice-shake game feel real, as if the dice were in the phone)
7. Customizable user settings for type and intensity of touch feedback

Following are some examples of how haptics could be used in the phone to expand the interface, improve performance, reduce cognitive loading, and increase user satisfaction. For a more complete list, download the white paper, Haptics: Improving he Mobile User Experience through Touch (PDF).

Top 5 Haptic Uses in Mobile Devices 

#1 Keypad/control surface presses
Mobile device buttons are usually small and many have shallow travel. Programmable haptic feedback supplies key press confirmation and differentiates the feel of keys such as “Send” from OK.”  

#2 Scrolling
Haptic feedback can help users quickly scroll through a list with reduced visual attention and identify unread messages or distinguish between messages from friends, family, or business associates.

#3 Dialing cues
Call waiting, call forwarding, call connecting, and call dropped can all be understood through intuitive tactile vibrations.

#4 A branded haptic signature
A network’s unique branded vibration that plays when the phone is opened or closed, or powered up or down, emphasizes the network’s services and value.

#5 Alerts and more alerts

• Haptic alerts signaling calendar reminders, push-to-talk ready/receive, and many others can de-clutter the user’s sound channel.
• With haptics, users can know immediately -- and privately -- when concert tickets go on sale or when their flight is delayed 30 minutes.
• For messaging, instead of an annoying beep or a single-frequency vibration that does not evoke clear recognition for the user, a unique and memorable haptic alert can communicate that a message has arrived, and whether it is a text, e-mail, photo, or instant message.
• For GPS operation,  intuitive tactile cues provide directions without requiring glances, promoting safety.
• For mobile commerce, haptic feedback supplies unmistakable confirmations, supporting more completed transactions for vendors and a more satisfying experience with fewer errors for users. Ads that arrive with arresting or amusing vibrations provide a unique appeal to compel viewing.
   

to the top

IMMERSION CORPORATION
801 Fox Lane | San Jose, CA 95131 | T: 1 408.467.1900 | www.immersion.com