Synaptics, which supplies scroll-touch technology for full-size iPods, has announced a mobile phone concept device featuring an innovative new touch-screen technology that could possibly be used on future iPods.
“ClearPad is a thin, high resolution capacitive touch screen that can be placed over any viewable surface for finger input. ClearPad enables a dynamic and adaptive user interface that eliminates the need for mechanical buttons on handheld devices,” Synaptics explains. “This allows mobile designers to increase LCD size to support the content and functionality available for todays handheld devices. Because ClearPad is solid state, it can be curved and mounted beneath plastics, offering mobile designers an opportunity to create sleek and stylized industrial designs.” Synaptics said ClearPad will offer “unique capabilities such as two finger input, proximity sensing, text entry and high resolution finger input that can dramatically improve and enhance the user experience with a touch screen.”
Synaptics said the ClearPad technology is under development and that it is expected to be available in bulk to OEMs by the end of the year.
