Multi-Touch
More and more touchscreen devices are being made to support multi-touch commands. Whether it’s a smartphone, tablet or monitor, multi-touch opens the doors to a whole new world of possibilities. Rather than limiting commands to single touches, they allow for commands based on multiple, simultaneous touches. A common example of multi-touch function is pinch-to-zoom, which as the name suggests involves the use of two fingers creating a pinch-like motion to zoom in on the display.
Bigger Touchscreen Devices
Not surprisingly, touchscreen devices are becoming bigger and bigger. We’ve already seen some massive 55″ touchscreen devices developed by Microsoft, with Google also announcing a touchscreen-equipped whiteboard of similar size. These tech companies aren’t stopping here, however. Market analysts believe that touchscreen devices will continue to grow in size, paving the way for a new era in this technology.
Capacitive Over Resistive
While it’s doubtful that resistive touchscreens will be going away anytime soon, capacitive is becoming the preferred choice among users. Capacitive touchscreens work by identifying the disturbance in an electrical field created upon touch. They have a small electrical charge flowing through the display. And when the operator touches the display, it interrupts this charge; thus, the device can identify when and where the operator touched. Capacitive touchscreens typically yield greater accuracy and improved resolution, which are just a few reasons why they are preferred over resistive touchscreen devices.
Introduced into New Applications
Of course, you can also expect touchscreen devices to make their way into new applications. Retail stores and businesses, for instance, are now using touchscreen devices to perform everything from point-of-sale checkout to inventory management and product ordering. Schools and learning facilities are also using touchscreen devices to improve their functions.
Bendable Touchscreen
There’s also been a growing trend towards the use of bendable touchscreen interfaces. While still in the early stages of development, several of the world’s leading handset makers are expressed interest in this technology. And some have even produced their own prototypes of bendable touchscreen interfaces. A bendable touchscreen device could be a game-changer for privacy, as users could bend it so their screen isn’t viewable to others.
These are just a few of the most notable trends in touchscreen technology. The truth is that no one knows what exactly is it store for the future of touchscreen technology. However, all signs point towards the aforementioned trends, which we’ll likely see in the months and years to come.
