Google Invents a Squeezable, Bendable Pressure Sensitive Smartphone
A new Google patent application that was recently published by the US Patent & Trademark Office reveals an ambitiously unique invention that's related to the construction of a future Android smartphone structure. The structure would be pressure sensitive to user-directed squeezes and other physical gestures to control applications in a more intuitive manner than by touchscreen alone.
As smartphones are now in the five inch range and beyond, the new gestures will assist users to control applications beyond the traditional use of a single hand and thumb control methodology. Each application will be uniquely tied to various specific controls via Google's new gesturing mechanism using a strain gauge that integrated into the structure of this future smartphone. In theory, Google might be unto something here.
Although Apple fans will always remain faithful to Apple's sexy iPhones, it's always good to keep up with possible future hardware trends before they come to market. Apple is considering backside controls in various forms as is Google. So there are certain trends to stay on top of as Apple and others try to bring new breakthroughs to their respective hardware lines.
For more information on one of Google's latest patent filings, see our Patent Bolt report that contains more graphics illustrating the associated gestures.
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Not sure if it is exactly the same thing but pretty close to what we have seen before with Apple Mighty Mouse. It was cool but not very practical and I think that's the reason why Apple abandoned the squeezable function in their future mouse design. Maybe squeezable phone will give us much better user experience than squeezable mouse but I doubt it.
Posted by: dlau | October 21, 2013 at 10:36 AM
Very possible.
but I think this is actual innovation here...
you can handle 5.5 inch screens easily like this.
We haven't seen this yet, it is just a patent.
If google takes a scamsung like approach and puts it in the market it will most probably fail.
If it decides to improve upon it until it is perfect like apple does, and then releases it, it will be a huge success.
The nexus 5 will be interesting.
Posted by: applefanboy | October 21, 2013 at 07:48 AM
As a Mechanical Engineer this has disaster written all over it. The elasticity will fail and the material will remain permanently deformed after so many compressive applications.
Posted by: Marc Driftmeyer | October 20, 2013 at 05:58 PM
This makes a lot more sense than samsungs flexible display.
more because they have their patents but haven't rushed it to the market as something 'new' yet.
and more because this has a lot more practical applications than a curved screen.
and more sense because it is google.
Posted by: applefanboy | October 19, 2013 at 11:13 PM