Strategy
Analytics analysts looked at why Nokia chose to use resistive technology, rather than
capacitive, in its 5800 XpressMusic (codenamed "Tube")
device which was launched today, bucking the trend of all recent
high-profile touchscreen phones.
Why? . While capacitive touchscreen technology offers better
transparency, greater resolution and multi-touch capabilities compared
with resistive, the price of adding a capacitive touchscreen to a device
has remained stubbornly high. But, according to a company spokesperson,
the $10-15 bill of materials (BOM) cost saving is not the reason for
Nokia choosing to use a resistive touchscreen.
Stuart Robinson, Director of the Handset
Component Technologies service at Strategy Analytics, comments, "Since
the launch of the iPhone we have seen the LG Prada, Samsung's
Instinct and F480, Sony Ericsson's Xperia X1
and, just last week, Google's G1 all follow
Apple's lead by implementing capacitive
touchscreens because it is generally considered to be a superior
technology. However, with the 5800, Nokia may gain significant traction
because the resistive touchscreen can be used with a finger, stylus or
plectrum, meeting the needs of users across a diverse range of
culturally-different regions."
Steve Entwistle, VP of Strategy Analytics'
Strategic Technologies Practice adds, "Nokia's
decision to use resistive touchscreen has not caught us totally by
surprise. Users in many Asian countries prefer to use a stylus or
plectrum to interface with touchscreen devices. Capacitive touchscreens
like the iPhone can only be used with an un-gloved finger. We will be
reflecting the trend back towards resistive technology in our revised
forecast report which will be published later this month."
Companies that are most likely to benefit from this product announcement
include Elo TouchSystems (Tyco), 3M and Nissha, vendors of resistive
touchscreen panels. Other vendors including Synaptics, ALPS and Balda
who make capacitive touchscreen components are unlikely to see any
negative effects in the short-term though, because touchscreen phones in
general are still showing significant growth.