Immersion - update

The latest developments seem to indicate that Immersion technology is NOT used in the new RIM blackberry, and the new HTC phone - see these posts from cellodude on the IV MB:

>>No haptic touch in HTC Diamond - did they talk to IMMR and say no?

HTC was to have haptic touch in the Diamond but canceled the feature. What happened?

1st vid explains why no touch haptics, 2nd vid shows haptic game.

Video interview with Horace Luke, HTC Chief Innovation Officer (@1:52):

Graphic: [Why no haptic?]

HL: "... over and over again, and I fine tuned it over and over again, and after asking a whole bunch of folks, and doing a whole bunch of usability studies, people like, "not worth it.""

Interviewer: "So, on the record, you did design..."

HL: "We did design with the intent of it, but no, it didn't... it didn't happen because it just SUCKED (laughs).

Graphic: [Have you considered localized haptic technology?]

HL: "... very expensive technology, very expensive. (Smiles) Not ready yet. Until you can buy it at 7-11, I don't think, you know..."

Then HTC goes on to demo a game "Tweeter" that has haptics and Horace Luke and Eric Lin, HTC Online Global Strategist are all excited about feeling it in action.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDS5BKkmoTM

Video of HTC Diamond game Tweeter in action:

Reviewer: "It [Haptics] blew me away."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEy6qM93mjw

This is hard to figure what happened. Possible scenarios:

1 They talked to IMMR about VibeTonz (actuator shakes entire phone) and didn't like it.

2 They didn't talk to IMMR about VibeTonz style vibration and couldn't get simple haptics working correctly themselves.

3 They talked to IMMR about next-gen localized feedback but decided it was too expensive, or not available to them soon enough because of the time involved for tweaking.

This last one doesn't make sense: 4 They didn't talk to IMMR about next-gen haptics and decided it was too expensive.

My theory: they tried VibeTonz & didn't like it, then asked about localized feedback (ala Nokia) & decided to skip it, too difficult & expensive to implement. Result? No haptic touch in HTC Diamond.

Perhaps this prompted IMMR to release the "Kit for Designing Touch Feedback Into Small Touchscreen Products" in July? Food for thought.

>>Re: Verizon's Internal Release on Storm

I don't think the haptics are driven by vibration actuators/electrically, so no. I think they're using an in-house design with screen layers that somehow click when depressed, but you have to push HARD to get the click effect, slowing down text entry. One video reviewer is afraid the screen will break, you have to push so hard. See bad reviews at #41532.

>>Don't hold me to it, but I believe it doesn't use an actuator, even the built-in one. If by some chance it does use the built-in actuator, then they're doing the same as Motorola, without the precise control over the actuator which IMMR tech has.