Cool Haptic Implementations

LG Cookie (LG KP500)

"Delicious" Touchscreen Phone with Tactile Feedback

Challenge

Create a top-selling, affordable, slim, full touchscreen feature phone to break worldwide sales records.

Solution

• Include personalized touch settings (different vibration patterns and intensities) for ringers and touchscreen interactions
• Supply a greater sensory connection with tactile cues accompanying screen rotation, keypad slide, list scrolling,  etc.
• Give the touchscreen keypad a mechanical feel with touch effects for both button press and release  
• Boost the fun of motion-sensor games with immersive, realistic tactile feedback response like in console games

Outcome

• Logged record one-day sales of 4,500 units, and worldwide sales of over 2 million units in just 5 months.
• LG expanded the Cookie’s availability from 40 to 60 countries as part of its push to hit 10 million in sales worldwide.

LG Dare (LG-VX9700)

Touchscreen Phone with Tactile Feedback Dares to be Different

Challenge

Make a phone that stands out among all the others with touchscreens

Solution – Add Value with Interface Enhancements

• Include Immersion tactile feedback to establish more of a connection with the user  
• Supply subtle yet confirming tactile pulses – and lets users set their intensity
• Use tactile feedback to assist and provide more interaction when scrolling
• Show users how much faster and easier it is to type on a virtual keyboard when on a haptic-enabled touchscreen

Outcome – A Top Pick

• "Best of Innovations" at CES 2009
• “What sets the Dare apart from competitors... are dozens of little interface touches that make this phone a pleasure to use. Interface elements are large and finger-friendly, and thanks to haptic feedback, the Dare bites back when you tap its screen.” —PC Magazine
•  “[Haptics is] very helpful when selecting menu options, since it provides a physical confirmation of the selection. You can go through a calibration wizard to adjust to the screen's sensitivity, and you can adjust the vibrate type (short, double, or long) and vibrate level (low, medium, high, or off altogether). You can also turn on "vibration when scrolling," which sets off tiny vibrations when scrolling up and down lists. We actually recommend this, so you know you're scrolling through a list and not accidentally selecting something.” —CNET

LG Incite

Bringing Features and Haptic Feedback to the World

Challenge

Build a world phone that has it all

Solution – Ultramodern Design with all the Modern Features

• Combine an autofocus 3-mexapixel camera/camcorder, full-speed Internet access, worldwide 3G capabilities, GPS with turn-by-turn voice and onscreen directions, Wi-Fi radio, music and video players
• Supply user-adjustable haptic feedback for full-fidelity interaction and a superior user experience

Outcome – A Touch of Praise

• “The touch screen on the Incite has haptic tactile feedback, which lets you know, using vibrations, that your touch has registered. You can adjust the sensitivity of the touch response as well as the length and strength of the vibrations. Since the touch screen is resistive, you can use either your finger or the provided stylus to navigate through the screen.” —CNET
• “We were very impressed to find that the Incite has an accelerometer, haptic (vibration) feedback that's adjustable to one of three levels,….” —MobileTechReview
• “There's no physical keyboard here, but on-screen QWERTY keyboards appear in one of two modes.... I found typing to be passable once I learned to press each "key" relatively hard; the slight built-in vibration that registered each key press was welcome.” —PC Magazine

LG Viewty (KU-990)

Tactile Feedback Gives LG Viewty the Right Touch

Challenge

Make the touchscreen as convenient to use as phones with buttons

Solution  

• Provide Immersion touch feedback response for onscreen interactions
• Make typing on the virtual QWERTY keys easier and faster with touch feedback
• Give users settings for type and intensity of touch feedback

Outcome – A Favorite with Consumers, Show Attendees, and Reviewers

• Set sales records across Europe
• “The best thing about the number and text entry on LG Viewty KU990 is the tactile feedback. You can feel vibration every time you press a key on Viewty, making the process as intuitive as on any normal phone. Thanks to incorporation of Immersion’s technology, LG was able to solve the problem of tactile feedback that plagued early touchscreen devices, pretty well. Overall LG Viewty KU990 is one of the best phones I have tried and certainly the best one among the phones displayed during IFA Consumer Electronics show.” —Unwired View
• “The Viewty can be set to vibrate when a selection is made which adds a satisfying tactility to the touchscreen experience.” —CNET Australia

Nokia XpressMusic

Challenge

Make a great music-centered phone to compete with the iPhone.

Solution

• Provide exceptional screen usability, camera, video, radio, network and Internet connectivity, Nokia’s free-for-one-year Comes with Music, powerful stereo speakers, and fast file sharing services.
• Use a perfectly proportioned high-resolution touchscreen that puts everything within easy one-handed reach – and use Immersion’s tactile feedback for clear touch response of user selections.

Outcome

• “Nokia 5800 XpressMusic - has the potential to eat into Apple’s market share.” —Times Online
• “Better than iPhone . . . ” —CNET user review

Samsung Omnia HD

Challenge

Build an all-in-one, fully loaded phone.

Solution

• Provide the first phone capable of high-definition video recording, then add an 8-megapixel camera with autoflash, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, FM radio, microSD card slot with support for 16GB cards, 1,500 mAh battery, and 3.7-inch OLED capacitive touchscreen with TouchSense touch feedback.

Outcome

• ”The handset with one of the longest spec sheets we've ever seen has just dropped on us like a bomb. The Omnia HD is Samsung's go at touch-taming the Symbian S60 and is introducing truly revolutionary stuff . . . surely one of the most interesting packages to look out for at this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.” —GSM Arena
• “Yeah this definitely is a 'drool' worthy phone and i predict it being *the* phone of 2009. Samsung has finally done it...” —Cellphone-reviews.co.uk user review

Samsung Ultra Touch

Challenge

Make a fully touch-operated slider that takes a huge leap forward.

Solution

Combine an 8 megapixel camera, video recorder, FM radio, MP3 music player, GPS, and Bluetooth with a full and bright AMOLED touchscreen interface, physical T9 keypad, a new generation of widgets, and a polished design.

Outcome

We find the design of Samsung S8300 UltraTOUCH quite attractive. The black metallic frame and the rest of the seemingly high quality plastic give the phone a sophisticated and exquisite look. All the keys on the front are large and comfortable enough to use and provide nice tactile feedback. . . .The only noteworthy element on the left side of Samsung S8300 is the volume rocker. It's large and has nice tactile feedback, making it quite comfortable to use. . . Last, but certainly not least, the player is nicely touch-optimized including fast forward and rewind. . . This adds up to an excellent music application that can fully replace your portable MP3 player.” —GSM Arena

Samsung Omnia   

Everything Touch

Challenge

Bring out a phone with all the features business and consumer users want

Solution – A Phone that Does Everything Well

• Build a high-performance smartphone with five-megapixel CMOS camera, advanced audio, and high-resolution LCD screen – but include touch feedback to knock home the impression of quality
• Make the high-resolution touch-sensitive screen capable of intuitive tap, sweep, and drag and drop operations as well as excellent tactile feedback for onscreen presses
• Roll-out three custom text input methods, all with touch feedback
• Give users a slight haptic response when they change screen orientation, another trait of high performance and thoroughly excellent design 

Outcome – A Multimedia Powerhouse

• “One of the most innovative things about the Omnia is the implementation of haptic feedback. What this means is that every tap of the screen is accompanied by a slight vibration which tells you the phone has registered your input. This is excellent especially when typing out messages using the onscreen keyboards as you are not left wondering if the software has "felt" your touch.” —CNET Asia
• “The accompanying haptic feedback can be adjusted to anything between non-existent and seriously annoying. All together, it's a significant advance….” —Register Hardware

Samsung Haptic Phone (SCH-W420)

Vibration Feedback Defines the Next Generation of Touchscreen Phones

Challenge

Create the next generation touchscreen phone

Solution – Integrate Touch Feedback into Every Part of the User Interface

• Supply touch feedback for almost every action on the touchscreen-only interface
• Include 22 vibrotactile effects that simulate mechanical properties — for example, make the on-screen radio knob feel like a mechanical dial
• Use haptic feedback with accelerometer input to make a dice-shake game feel real
• Let users create and personalize their own haptic effects through a simple but powerful drag-and-drop graphical interface  

Outcome

• More than 100,000 phones sold in the first four weeks following launch
• Watch the video
• “The new mobile phones have large touch-sensitive screens that... vibrate to the touch of the users to compensate for the absence of physical touch sensations on the smooth screen.” —The Korea Times
•  “There is a choice of 22 unique kinds of vibrations for a plethora of answers and functions that allows the phone to communicate with you.” —TechShout.com

Samsung Soul

A Touch of Magic

Challenge

Set a new standard in the bar handset category

Solution  

• Supply 3.5G downloads, 3-megapixel camera, office document viewer and editor, full speed Internet access, Bluetooth 2.0, music player, video editor and recorder, FM radio, and haptic feedback
• Further push the standard by giving users three intensity levels of force feedback

Outcome

• Sold throughout Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia (China), Southwest Asia, Southeast Asia, and South America
• “Samsung has created a sleek, solid, and powerful handset with a unique touchpad that's intuitive and easy to use. Though the individual buttons are flat, small ridges separate each row. The buttons also give a tactile "push" feeling when pressed.“ —CNET

Samsung SCH-n330

Tactile Feedback Give Games More Appeal

Challenge

Make a youth phone that stands out with fresh new features

Solution – Add Value by Applying Haptics in Novel Ways

• Include Immersion vibe ringers for personalization and silent-mode caller ID
• Create fun, downloadable games with Immersion console-like rumble action
• Provide downloadable vibe ringers (to generate additional revenue)
• Supply a special ramp-down touch feedback cue to signal dropped call

Outcome – Critical Raves

• “It is the rhythm of the beat that makes this phone unique, with Immersion's touch sensations that beat to the rhythm.” —Mobiledia
• “Aside from the addictive pop-up screen, the SCH-N330's major innovation is an advanced vibration technology that lets games and ringtones control the intensity and duration of vibration. It's best used in action games, where you can feel the thunk of a sword or the rumble of wheels on a road. It's the SCH-N330's funky design, vibrating ringtones, and tactile-feedback games that make it appealing.” —PC Magazine

Synaptic Fuse

Next-Generation Mobile Phone Concept

Challenge

Tackle the difficulty of single-handed usage and the need to look at the screen

Solution

• Immersion made possible the tactile feedback, ensuring an integrated and satisfying experience
• The Fuse uses tactile feedback, so that users don't have to look at the screen
• Capacitive sensors in the back with haptic feedback provides an alternative to having a finger on the screen that blocks the view

Outcome

• The Synaptics Fuse is a prototype - not a product. Its goal is to inspire the next generation of touch devices, but also to show what Synaptics and its partners can do. Check out the In The News section for the overwhelming positive review.
• Top 10 Concept Phone
  This platform will have a full arsenal of sensors that will be used to provide users with a haptic touchscreen experience unlike any other.
  —Know Your Mobile