While Nokia wouldn't invite us to Nokia World this year, we were fortunate enough to discover a pair of its new X6 handsets on the IFA floor here in Berlin. On hand were two engineering prototypes, one of which was peeling away from its plastic shell while the other seemed less responsive to our finger-taps. Still, it's clear that the
capacitive touchscreen is far more responsive to human touch than the resistive screens found on its N97, or the
5800 XpressMusic especially. This was made abundantly clear when using the on-screen keyboard although some of our swiping gestures were inexplicably ignored in other elements of the interface. But given the choice of the screen being awesome or super-awesome (remember, we're comparing it to Nokia's resistive touchscreen legacy), we'll have to settle on the former for now. Of course, underneath you've still got S60 5th, for
better or worse, pumping away inside a chubby little candybar -- no screen tech can change that. See the action in the video after the break then jump into the gallery to see it sized up with a few of its S60 cousins five times removed.
posted September 5th 2009 9:54AM
Oh you, trolling the members, eh?
yeah... funny, don't compare it to the n900 with it's resistive screen?
*skew the data* just to try and make a point
and with the s60 - new demos are out for the n97 firmware with kinetic scrolling everywhere.
A typical American blogosphere headline if ever I saw one, Engadget
Can we stop the hate?
It's true and a pretty sad state affairs when they resort to this type of behaviour. This never would have happened when Block and Rojas where here.
Tricked by the TRicker...
Thomas Ricker,
Please don't listen to the resistive-supporting idiots on Engadget. Stick to your guns (like you've been doing) and don't let their mindless defence of resistive screens sway you into being less aggressive.
Capacitive screens are better for finger use. That's a fact. Don't build touchscreen phones if you're not going to use the best type of screen i.e. capacitive.
Keep doing what you're doing, Thomas - I genuinely support it.
This compares to Apple rejecting the Google Voice application and then justifying to the FCC why it did so. Don't make the same mistake.
come on guys, you didn't think the no-hate for nokia would last more than a day did you?
and then you wonder why you don't get invited to nokia's events.
A friend of mine has an iPhone. I have a HTC Touch Diamond 2. Screen/display touch-wise? Pretty much the same. The SW implementation is what matters the most, most of the times.
So... no, there is really absolutely no proof what so ever of the headline implification. FAIL!
after the hate fest everyone threw on zeigler the other day i looked at this title and went "O NO THEY DI'INT!!" *finger snap*
maybe those douche bags should have invited them. :-P
(Sarcasm)
Don't you guys get it,
Look, it's simple, any device with a:
resistive screen = sluggish, slow, and unresponsive
screen smaller than 3.5" = too small
screen bigger than 3.5" = unnecessary
device thicker than 11.6mm = bulky/chubby
device thinner than 11.6mm = awkward
device longer than 115mm = too lbig
device shorter than 115mm = cramped
But my favorite:
Device attempts to match these specs (and is not an iPhone) = KIRF! Knock off! Rip Off!
Meizu M8 = My point
Can't wait for the Nokia n900 (T-Mobile US 3G FTW!)
Currently using HTC touch HD...
You know, Engadget talk so much nice things about the iThings but, hey, I can't even see engadgets videos at my ipod.
But of course this is not Apples problem, its your problem Engadget.
Engadget, arent you ashamed you can't figure out why nokia didnt roll out an invitation? and you still have the audacity to brag about it?
I didn't see any 'proof' that capacitive is better... Sorry Engadget.
Yeah, the last bit where the swipe was is not easy to be registered by the screen... I have no idea how is that different from resistive technology as seen on most touch screen phones.
Yet, the biggest problem with the capacitive screen is the real estate of it is taken too much by the on screen keyboard due to far less accurate detection. Imagine typing an email with that UI or using that phone in winter...
Resistive gets way too much flack - to the point where if it's resistive it somehow must be bad. No one complains about the DS screen, imagine doing all those stylus manoeuvres on a capacitive screen... not happening. Bad implementation of the technology is more concerning, because some resistive phones I've seen were truly terrible.
You guys have gone low before *this and last weeks podcast*... but wow, this is digging real deep!
@originator
They must be leading up to the engadget TV debut....
capacitive is way better.... Just play with an iPhone and you'll understand why..
@ Kit
"Imagine typing an email with that UI or using that phone in winter..."
Imagine Thomas Ricker being chased in winter by a pack of angry beasts with nothing but his iphone to call for help.
"Imagine typing an email with that UI or using that phone in winter..."
I've seen this argument against capacitives before. It's so dumb. If it's so cold out that you need gloves, you're not going to be typing on a resistive screen either, becuase your won't be any better or worse with gloves on. And if you're talking about using a stylus for text input, anything past a URL is just far too slow and annoying to tap an on-screen keyboard with a stylus.
I don't see a comfortable, accurate, or quick way to type anything on any phone when it's so cold that you need gloves on, resistive, capacitive, or HW keyboard.
This whole thing comes down to preference, but please, if you're going to argue your case, making points like that will only hurt your case...
You're right, the whole 'Gloves' arguement is washed out. Trying to touch a screen with gloves on would be even LESS accurate then using a capacative.
If only you could use resistive technology with some kind of object that you could hold in your hand, one that is small enough that it will register most taps. Similar to using a pen on paper. HEY, we could make it like an inkless pen! And if it's thin enough, this inkless pen (or 'Stylus', if you will) could fit right into the phone you're using.
But hey, what do I know?
i said it whas capactive!!!
there is nothing really wrong with s60, i used it, has plenty of customization options, more than winmo anyway
I don't know... I've owned two S60 phones and my current WM6.5/Diamond2 is a lot better to operate and has more than enough customisations available.
I really have to completely disagree with this.
Coming someone who has used both WinMo and Symbian, in the area of customization, WinMo undeniably and absolutely topples Symbian phones in every imaginable way. Not only does WinMo comes with multiple interfaces that changes the way the OS works (default interfaces and third party UIs), which is something I'm not even sure Symbian has, but it comes with innumerable apps design to affect even basic usability in the phone (apps that lets you change how the GPS hardware works, how high the volume is amplified, what programs is installed upon hard reset, and etc).
Furthermore, WinMo phones are the only phones I know of in which you can change the ROMs. Not only can you change the WinMo one to a alternative that looks and works completely different, but you can even upgrade the WinMo version or even use Linux (albeit a WIP Linux most of the time). I've certainly never heard of such a thing on Symbian phones.
As a disclaimer (I feel the need to add this because there seems to be a lot of people on Engadget that hates WinMo and those who use it), I am not a biased WinMo user. In all honesty, I currently do use a WinMo phone (HTC Raphael), but I'm also about to be in possession of a Nokia E71 soon. It has nothing to do with bias, it's just what I see as reality.
i still prefer s60, but that's just me. you can keep your customisation, i'll take speed thanks.
Yeah me neither. I like my stylus in certain situations.
Good, cause HTC is coming out with a capacitive touch working stylus.
People need to give up on resistive touchscreens.
Want a stylus? They make them for capacitive touchscreens. Get over it. Just because iPhone uses capacitive doesn't mean it's useless and brings nothing new. Multitouch is a huge innovation.
Let Resistive die. It sucks and there's not one reason it should still be around.
summed it up quite nicely.
Your right. Multitouch was a huge innovation. When it was invented in the early 80's.
Doesn't change the fact that capacitive is more capable than resistive. Thanks, though.
You guys at engadget do realize that there are different kinds of capacitive and different kinds of resistive screens, right? Right?
And where's this proof of capacitive being better?
Can you choose one pixel with capacitive screen? (Hint: No, you can not. That's a fact which means that resistive is better when it comes to accuracy.)
And multitouch means nothing as it's possible to do in resistive screens as well.
"Nokia wouldn't invite us to Nokia World this year"
OWNED. Act like bitches for a bit more and you can be quite sure you won't be going next year either (or of course you can go if you pay the 700+ euros ticket).
My personal prediction: resistive screens will become even more dominant on the market after this capacitive hype has calmed down.
It's not impossible but it's never done.
I love how people low rank me but only one takes a second to explain why they like resistive touchscreens.
People here just love them because they do. Why? They don't know, it's just cool to fight the power. The last comment I saw on the matter was highest ranked, and was simply someone saying "Resistive touchscreens are better, be a man and use some force."
Or, I can not have to worry about force or misinterpretations and simply use the superior capacitive touchscreen.
@Eric: what kind of idiot would make 1-pixel buttons?
That said, the real reason I prefer capacitive is because every resistive screen I've used has either been scratched up by the stylus after about a year of use or won't respond to finger touch unless you mash it so hard the colors warp. Also, I like the protection of a hard glass screen.
It isn't the stylus that makes the accuracy, its the underlying technology.
With resistive, the technology doesnt mind how tiny the contact is. Even a pinpoint works as a contact is a contact.
With capasitive you cant have a tiny point, as the detection is made with capacitance which is area based process. You can't have a pinpoint as it has such a tiny capacitance its undetectable.
So, resistive is like typing with fingers, capacitive is like typing with elbows. You get a general area where the point is, but not accuretely.
So here's typed with fingers:
resistive
And with elbows:
cvap0assdeiotygiovb erd
@DeoWulf
Firstly, the pixel comment was to do with accuracy of the pointing device - not it's use. But that being said, you might find graphic artists are interested in accuracy. And as for capacitive being more hardy, sure, I agree with you entirely, my resistive would scratch if I didn't use screen protectors - but at least I can use it whilst wearing gloves.
The point of a resistive-and-stylus combo isn't merely because "it's more precise" and that for some reason we need to click 1x1pixel buttons.
When we write on paper, we write with pens and pencils, not fingers. The stylus is the best and most precise analog (and therefore most effective) for that behavior.
For parts of the GUI (flick-scrolls and large buttons), it's certainly better to use capacitive. But on these message-centric devices, making it easy to launch an app is pointless if it's a pain to type.
And English is far from the only language widely used in the world: Chinese, Korean, and Japanese (among several language that use complex scripts) are better served via handwriting than button-pecking, /especially/ if it's a choice between one large writing pad versus dozens of miniature keys.
There is no clear winner. Everyone weighs these factors differently (some people only ever need English soft-keyboard, some people don't mind pressing /slightly/ harder on resistive screens).
@Eric:
"Can you choose one pixel with capacitive screen? (Hint: No, you can not. That's a fact which means that resistive is better when it comes to accuracy.)"
You're not getting the point: here we're talking about handheld devices, so naturally a good UI should be eye-friendly and finger-friendly. Sure, accuracy is a technical downside, but at no point would you want to be choosing such tiny UI objects on such small screens. If you need to do so, usually it would be the fault of an improvable UI design.
On the other hand, of course, the accuracy of resistive touchscreens is very useful for bigger screens, especially for graphics design UI.
Each type of touchscreen has its ups and downs, but one is definitely more suitable than the other depending on the device's form factor.
fh made a good point about the difference between typing and handwriting: earlier today I was at an SMS competition (summer camp reunion thingy), and I came first with my iPhone in the English round (typing), but only second in the Chinese round (handwriting).
(Chinese typing still requires the access to a search result list of some sort)
Wow. Resistive folks are up in arms.
Technically, capacitive allows you to be accurate as well. It's just there's no capacitive-friendly part on your body thats more pointy than your fingers. But there ARE capacitive-friendly styluses already out there.
In either case, they're demonstrating the responsiveness of the screen rather than its accuracy. Since resistives have another layer to 'press' through (to close the circuit), its technically a little less responsive... mechanically.
Newone:
I hereby award you your PHd for conclusively proving that resistive>capacitive. At least when it comes to accuracy.
@deowulf
the only reason i don't like capacitive is because i don't want my UI to look like something out of a PLAYSKOOL phone, everything is OMGHUGE on a capacitive screen
Having spent time with a Nokia 5530, from this short and not very informative video, there is NO difference at all. The 5530 screen is very responsive, and being able to use the stylus made it more fun and more versatile. The problem on the touch screen N series devices, including the N97 is the lack of consistency in the interface. Some items require one touch, others, two. Nokia's reasons for this are sound, you may want to apply an action to a selected item. However, the simpler and more logical (Captain) solution is to display a pop up menu of options if one holds ones finger (or stylus) down over the item - in a similar manner to the iPhone keyboard, where if you hold down the appropriate letter key, a selection of accented alternatives appear.
It's all about use case scenarios and good design.
"It's just uh.... it's just awesome."
Not. The OS is probably productive, but it's definitely slow in response.
Enjoy your imaginary phone call function on your Zune HD.
Lol so this is the proof that capacitive is better than resistive sorry not just seeing it.
I'll take the N900 any day thank you.
"pumping away inside a chubby little candybar"
I will write a strong letter to my MP about such flith appearing on the intertubes.
Yours,
Major Smithe-smith (retired)