iPhone Beats Droid Touch Accuracy in Test

[Paul Daniel Ash]

As users become increasingly used to touchscreens on their phones, the accuracy of the screen's sensing ability begins to become more and more a factor in ease of use and overall satisfaction. A recent test by Moto Development Labs (apparently no connection to Motorola) seems to give the edge to the iPhone's touchscreen: it beat out the Motorola Droid, the HTC Droid Eris and the Google Nexus One (manufactured by HTC) in touch accuracy.

Moto Labs used a fairly simple method: drawing a diagonal pattern of straight lines very slowly across the screen of each test phone. If the sensing is accurate, the resulting drawing should be made up of straight, unbroken lines, rather than wavy lines. Most of the tests showed the iPhone drawing clear, orderly lines across most of the screen area, though distorting to curves and losing sensitivity at the edges of the screen. The Nexus One and DROID Eris gave good results, though worse than the iPhone overall, ending up with mostly straight lines and maintaining sensitivity out to the edges. The Motorola DROID gave the poorest results, with all tests showing wavy or stair-stepped lines.

The design and consulting firm, with offices in San Francisco and Hong Kong, imputed the results to some combination of coarse sensor grid, sample rate and/or software:

On inferior touchscreens, it’s basically impossible to draw straight lines. Instead, the lines look jagged or zig-zag, no matter how slowly you go, because the sensor size is too big, the touch-sampling rate is too low, and/or the algorithms that convert gestures into images are too non-linear to faithfully represent user inputs.

The recommendation? Don’t skimp on materials, Moto Labs says, allow lots of time for algorithm development so that the software works well with and error-checks the specific implementation of hardware on the device, and closely integrate the hardware, software, and user interaction development as early as possible in the development process, rather than treating them as separate tasks.

image via Moto Labs

[clikzip]

More tests proving the iPhone is superior to android. Everyone compares themself to the iPhone, why get the imitation?

[chickenwings]

Its not only Android - the OS' fault - it might not be at all but the touch screens made by the phone manufactures.

[Tunerfreak]

im sorry but i do not get the same results on my droid, i get more of how the iphone looks with light pressure so i dont know about this test

[hollow0]

"inferior touchscreens" that's hilarious.

As far as touch screen there is no phone hands down that has better touch response than the iPhone. I've tested so many phones and it's never been the same or close. I haven't tried the Nexus though, but i'd like too.

[Jahooba]

That's pretty cool they found a simple way to test that. I'd like to see this catch on, maybe show up in an ad that promotes the device. It's been a long time since the iPhone came out and companies still haven't figured out how to perfect touch screens yet.

Not that it's EASY or anything, and Apple is probably holding a few patents on the tech, but given how important it is to usability and marketability of the product, you'd think they'd try a little harder to get there. Those test results are just unacceptable.

[carlos916]

Ha-ha!

[Peemcgee]

and apple is just like
"Yeaaaaa"

[Bluprint]

imitation? how long did it take for iPhone to get copy and paste, where was the video support, and how about a flash to go with the camera? if you ask me apple needed a lot of catching up to do and it still does, give android a break their os is catching up and HTC is making the best phones as far as hardware.

[sziklassy]

This is not a shocker to be honest. The iPhone has the best touch screen of any phone I have comes into contact with, and I make it a habit to play around with all the new touch screen phones out there Frankly, I was unimpressed by the droid myself, talking strictly of the touchscreen.

imitation? how long did it take for iPhone to get copy and paste, where was the video support, and how about a flash to go with the camera? if you ask me apple needed a lot of catching up to do and it still does, give android a break their os is catching up and HTC is making the best phones as far as hardware.

And yet the world still picks iPhone Users don;t give companies and products a break. Whatever is the best, as a whole, at the time is what wins, at least in my opinion. Will android win? Maybe. Right now? No thanks.

[Devilish4eveR]

"inferior touchscreens" that's hilarious.

As far as touch screen there is no phone hands down that has better touch response than the iPhone. I've tested so many phones and it's never been the same or close. I haven't tried the Nexus though, but i'd like too.

I couldn't agree with you more hollow0. I didn't even think this had to be tested to be proven. ALL OTHER TOUCH SCREEN PHONES I've worked on are less responsive and less accurate then the iPhone.

Sorry peeps, not just cause I'm an iPhone fanatic, but it's just facts talking here. iPhone all the way....!!!!

[spazturtle]

These test are invalid for the following reaseons:
1) The person who draw the lins would not be able to draw every lin the same
2) Tests were not repeated

They should of built a machin to draw the lines.

Any how the iPhone and iouch prob have the one of the best touch screens around.

[ifonemaniac]

Ok maybe its just me but if you're that worried about touch accuracy you probably need to jump off a cliff, its not like its 2 inches off... lets worry about memory and processor speed here people

[hollow0]

imitation? how long did it take for iPhone to get copy and paste, where was the video support, and how about a flash to go with the camera? if you ask me apple needed a lot of catching up to do and it still does, give android a break their os is catching up and HTC is making the best phones as far as hardware.

Ummm... this topic is about touch interface. Not all of the other aspects of the phone. We're talking about the responsiveness of touch screens and which phone is the best and worst at it.

These test are invalid for the following reaseons:
1) The person who draw the lins would not be able to draw every lin the same
2) Tests were not repeated

They should of built a machin to draw the lines.

Any how the iPhone and iouch prob have the one of the best touch screens around.

The spelling of reaseons (reasons) is invalid

Ok maybe its just me but if you're that worried about touch accuracy you probably need to jump off a cliff, its not like its 2 inches off... lets worry about memory and processor speed here people

Such a harsh statement to even put on here geez. To you touch functionality may not matter but to other people including myself it does matter. I can't stand a phone that doesn't respond the way i want it too because of the hardware beneath it. And this is all thanks to Apple lol. But i also, agree with you that other hardware such as memory and processor are a definite plus and are needed. But i still need a nice responsive touch screen to go along with it.

I couldn't agree with you more hollow0. I didn't even think this had to be tested to be proven. ALL OTHER TOUCH SCREEN PHONES I've worked on are less responsive and less accurate then the iPhone.

Sorry peeps, not just cause I'm an iPhone fanatic, but it's just facts talking here. iPhone all the way....!!!!

Yeah, i love the iPhone but i'm a phone guy and i enjoy testing and giving other phones a chance. And every single phone (touch screens) that i've tried just didn't have it. Most of it was because the hardware was weak. But like i said i want to try the Nexus One. I'm really glad it came out because i have a feeling Apple will try to top it. I'm sure Apple doesn't like another phone having more attention drawn to it.

[samson_420]

This is a fact, not an opinion. . . . iPhone touch screen is about 30% more responsive then any Android.

I have had pretty much every Android device. There is no comparison, you are hitting most of the keys twice while texting.

Of course the iPhone is not perfect, but a lot better then the competition.

I wish there was another true competitior for the iPhone.

[Kamil18]

Wonder how the Nexus One would turn out.

Guessing it would beat the iPhone the same way the iPhone beat the droid

[rwin84]

finally proof for the obvious

[Okur4]

I don't like the potential effect on theming. In the long run when most people are switched to the new resolution great. But in the mean time it means more work to be able to produce themes for both formats. Real simple themes just involving backgronds and icons would be relatively easy. But it seems more complex and complete themes like modmyi, iSatin, X or any of the others involvng a lot of uiimages would be a major pain to configure all those elements for both resolutions.

[jayson9]

So, which one can hold a call and get true 3G service?

P.S. Nice to know that the iPhone can draw straight lines..... not.

[hollow0]

So, which one can hold a call and get true 3G service?

P.S. Nice to know that the iPhone can draw straight lines..... not.

Mine can.