Why Most Smartphones Use Capacitive Technology

Jul 27, 2020

Whether they run Android or iOS, most smartphones use a capacitive touchscreen interface. Capacitive, in fact, has become synonymous with mobile devices. You’ll find countless smartphones, as well as tablets, using this type of touchscreen technology. Considering that there are other touchscreen technologies available, though, you might be wondering why so many smartphones use capacitive technology. Well, capacitive technology offers several benefits when used in smartphones, some of which are revealed below.

Sensitivity

Capacitive technology allows for a superior level of sensitivity when compared to other touchscreen technologies. If a smartphone uses a capacitive touchscreen, it will easily detect your touch commands. You don’t have to forcefully press down on the display interface. Rather, gently tapping or touching the display interface will result in the smartphone registering your command. Some capacitive smartphones, in fact, will register touch commands simply by hovering your finger directly over the display interface.

Multi-Touch

Another reason capacitive is the leading touchscreen technology used in smartphones is because it supports multi-touch. As the name suggests, multi-touch is a feature in touchscreens that allows for multiple simultaneous touches. With multi-touch, you can pinch the display interface with two of your fingers to zoom in or out. This is just one of many commands allowed with multi-touch.

Prevents Erroneous Touch Commands

Capacitive smartphones are naturally protected from erroneous touch commands. The technology is known as “capacitive” because it measures capacitance to detect touch commands. When you place your finger on a capacitive smartphone — or any other capacitive-powered touchscreen device — your body will draw some of its electrostatic charge. The capacitive smartphone will identify this change in capacitance as a touch command. How does this prevent erroneous touch commands exactly?

With capacitive smartphones, you’ll have to use a conductive object to perform touch commands. If an object doesn’t conduct electricity, it won’t draw the device’s electrostatic charge, meaning the smartphone won’t register the touch command. As a result, you can carry a capacitive smartphone in your pocket without it registering false or otherwise erroneous touch commands. If a smartphone uses a different touchscreen technology, such as resistive, it may register touch commands from the display interface hitting the inside of your pockets or other nonconductive objects.

Image Clarity

When compared to other types of smartphones, capacitive smartphones offer excellent image clarity. The top layer is typically made of glass, which allows more light to show through than that of other types of touchscreen technologies. The end result is a superior display that’s preferrable in smartphones.

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