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Sony Xperia V to use new, thinner touchscreen tech, Apple expected to follow suit

Sony Xperia V to use new, thinner touchscreen tech, Apple expected to follow suit

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Sony's upcoming Xperia V will use sensor-on-lens touchscreen technology to reduce the thickness of the display and improve performance — a move that follows LG and is expected to be mimicked by Apple in the iPhone 5.

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Sony Xperia V Press image
Sony Xperia V Press image

It looks like Sony left a few details out when it announced its new lineup of Xperia phones back at IFA; the company has just revealed that its mid-range Xperia V will be using what it's calling "sensor-on-lens" touchscreen technology. Unlike traditional touchscreens, the tech being implemented in the new phone puts the touch sensor on the top glass layer of the display, getting rid of an excess layer of glass and reducing the distance to the screen. There are technical differences, but the end result is the same as in-cell, on-cell, and G2 displays: they all reduce thickness of the screen, improve touch performance, and can help with image quality. Sony claims that the sensor-on-lens tech in the Xperia V improves display luminance by five percent.

Xperia_v_sensor_on_lens

The Xperia V won't be the first phone to use this new touchscreen setup. The recently-introduced LG Optimus G is using a (you guessed it) LG-sourced display that has the touchscreen components placed on the top piece of glass (called a lens). Apple is also expected to use similar technology in the iPhone 5: several rumors suggest that the device will have an in-cell screen with the touch sensors built into the display itself. It's not clear if Sony won't be taking advantage of its sensor-on-lens technology in its top-end Xperia T, but what's obvious is that smartphone manufacturers are all interested improving performance and cutting thickness. No matter what Apple announces tomorrow, it won't be the only ones utilizing the next-generation touchscreen technology.