AppleInsider Staff
According to the latest rumblings out of East Asia, Apple's next iPhone will come with an advanced vibration unit that can provide varying levels of haptic feedback in specific areas of the handset's screen.
Labeled as a "secret weapon," the system is said to be driven by a linear oscillating motor, much like the unit found in the iPhone 4S. With specialized algorithms, the motor can produce vibrations at varying levels of intensity, such as "soft" vibrations for taps or more violent movements for applications like gaming. Together with customized apps, tactile feedback can provide a more immersive experience for the user.
Sources noted that the purported iPhone 6 motor would cost some two to three times more than the unit used in Apple's current iPhone 5s, suggesting the component is more complicated and capable than its predecessor. It should be noted that the iPhone 5s uses a rotating mass type vibrator, which produces more motion and noise than a linear oscillator.
AppleInsider reported on an Apple patent from 2009 that used multiple synchronized motors to deliver location-specific haptic feedback. Using the tech, an iPhone would be able to produce vibratory feedback at the specific point, or points, where a user makes contact with the screen.
Apple is widely expected to launch redesigned 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone models when the handset's refresh cycle comes around in September. Thought to sport a thinner design with rounded edges more in line with the latest iPad products, the iPhone 6 is also likely to come with a more powerful "A8" SoC to run Apple's next-generation iOS 8.
Some analysts believe Apple is looking to differentiate the larger 5.5-inch model by incorporating high end parts like optical image stabilization and an exclusive 128GB storage option.
While the handset has yet to be announced, rumors claim the next iPhone will debut on either Sept. 19 or Sept. 25.
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22 Comments
I hope the iPhone 6's only "secret weapon" isn't more vibrations.
Rumors/patents are coming fast and furious lately. Great time to be an iPhone user and Apple shareholder.
Thats not exactly haptic feedback is it? I thought that haptic feedback was like the videos in the past that showed sandpaper on a webpage and you could actually feel it on the touch screen? Or is that all done with simply a vibration? Thats what I have been waiting for! Feel hair or sandpaper, etc on your touch screen. Would be pretty unreal!
True or not, it's so funny I was imagining this exact functionality for the iPhone 6 just yesterday... bizarre.
Thats not exactly haptic feedback is it? I thought that haptic feedback was like the videos in the past that showed sandpaper on a webpage and you could actually feel it on the touch screen? Or is that all done with simply a vibration?
Thats what I have been waiting for! Feel hair or sandpaper, etc on your touch screen. Would be pretty unreal!
Or imagine using haptic feedback to simulate physical controls (buttons, sliders, dials) on a screen, allowing the user to locate and activate them solely by touch.