Touchscreens are synonymous with smartphones. Smartphones no longer use a physical QWERTY keyboard. While there are dozens of brands of smartphones, nearly all of them feature a touchscreen interface. You can control them by tapping and touching the display interface. The display interface on a smartphone produces images while also supporting touch commands. Below are five facts about smartphone touchscreens.

#1) Capacitive Is the Leading Technology

Capacitive is the most common touchscreen technology used in smartphones. More smartphones use capacitive technology than any other touchscreen technology. Other touchscreen technologies include resistive, surface acoustic wave (SAW) and infrared (IR). For smartphones, though, capacitive is the leading touchscreen technology.

Capacitive touchscreens are highly sensitive to touch commands, available in thin and low-profile designs, and are protected from premature damage. These properties make them an attractive choice for smartphones and other mobile devices.

#2) Supports Multi-Touch Commands

Most smartphones support multi-touch commands. Multi-touch commands are touch commands that involve two or more simultaneous points of contact. You can use them to perform zoom functions. Pinching the display interface on a smartphone is an example of a multi-touch command. To pinch the display interface, you’ll have to touch two separate areas at the same time.

#3) Popularized in 2009

Touchscreen-based smartphones were popularized in 2009. They had been around for a couple of years prior. In 2007, the world’s first touchscreen smartphone was released: the LG Prada. Shortly thereafter, Apple released the first-generation iPhone, which also featured a touchscreen interface. But it wasn’t until 2009 when touchscreen-based smartphones became popular. 2009 marked the first that touchscreen-based smartphones outsold their non-touchscreen counterparts.

#4) Resistant to Fingerprints

You don’t have to worry about fingerprints accumulating on your smartphone. Nearly all smartphones are designed with an oleophobic coating. Oleophobic coatings consist of oil-repelling liquids. You won’t be able to see them. Nonetheless, most smartphones have an oleophobic coating. It will repel oils from your fingers so that the touchscreen is better protected from fingerprints and smudges.

#5) Long-Lasting

The touchscreens in smartphones are long-lasting. As previously mentioned, most smartphones use capacitive touchscreen technology. Capacitive touchscreens are known for their durability and longevity. They don’t have moving parts. Instead, capacitive touchscreens detect touch commands by measuring changes in capacitance. They apply a voltage to the top layer, which they measure for changes in capacitance. And since they don’t have moving parts, capacitive touchscreens last longer than many other types of touchscreens.