Haptic Vibration: How Does It Work in Mobiles

Although they did not always have a vibration motor, it is not conceivable that a smartphone of today does not have this option. The vibration allows to enhance much of what happens on the mobile, such as notifications, calls or improve the experience in some games. However, it is also one of the most disabled options in order to save battery life. That could change with the new haptioc vibrations of mobiles.

Nowadays it is dispensable for many users in functions such as touching the keyboard or moving through the system menus, but the vibration is practically essential for everyone when the mobile is put in silence, but you want to keep abreast of everything that comes to our device. However , this technology can and will go much further, as we are seeing in other areas of consumer electronics.

Adaptive vibration

Haptic haptic feedback is nothing new, since in short, we are talking about the reaction of the device to our interaction , including of course when we touch the screen. The system makes use of electrostatic technology to be able to measure the force that is printed with the fingertip, so the software can be adapted accordingly to offer tailored and highly variable sensations.

However, manufacturers want to go further, and offer more precise sensations, which allow to make the tactile experience and the general vibration of the device, something more complete than ever. We know that Xiaomi is preparing its devices for new haptic experiences, and Huawei already integrates some in EMUI 11. For example, ringtones can be adapted to different vibration levels according to user preferences.

Its uses in the mobile environment

The idea of the new haptic vibration is to adapt different vibration patterns depending on the tasks we are carrying out. For example in tasks of copying text on the screen, raising or lowering the volume or holding down an icon to move it around the desktop. The keyboard is one of the most used elements on a day-to-day basis and with which you can most develop haptic responses to achieve a more immersive typing experience. To give an example, a sufficiently developed technology on the screen of our mobile, combined with the appropriate sound, could fool our brain into believing that we are typing with a traditional mechanical keyboard.

Is it comparable to what is seen in the world of video games?

Before going into details, it must be anticipated that the answer is a resounding no. But it is true that smartphone manufacturers have a mirror to look at and that it is already offering advanced sensations that set the course for future terminals. The new DualSense of the PlayStation 5 already has a very advanced haptic feedback, with elements such as dynamic adaptive triggers that allow you to experience different levels of force and tension when interacting with the environment while playing the game. The objective is to connect physically playing with what happens in the game, trying to adapt the vibration in actions such as drawing a bow or pressing the brake of a racing car.

Perfect for playing on mobile

For the moment, the new haptic sensations will be limited to trying to make the experience of our terminals different, but it will be the developers who have the last word . The application in video games is clear, but making the feeling in menus or on a keyboard more or less interesting can be something expendable for many users.

In this case, gaming mobiles have the upper hand and their application makes perfect sense. Let us remember that some, such as Xiaomi’s Black Shark 3 Pro, have already integrated triggers in its structure. The next level will be to adapt new vibration sensations in this type of terminals.