In an effort to keep costs down most android tablet manufacturers used the less expensive resistive touchscreen and although they work well they didn’t match the responsiveness of the more expensive capacitive models.
Just recently some android tablet manufacturers came out with several models with capacitive screens and to many people’s surprise they found a way to keep the prices low. This is great news for the tablet industry since it opens the floodgates for more capacitive touchscreen models. In fact, it seems to even be lowering the price of the resistive screen units and making them even better bargains.
What is the difference between resistive and capacitive touchscreens?
Resistive touchscreens require you to actually put pressure on the screen to have the screen react. They have several layers of screen and when the outer layer is pressed against the next layer the pressure point registers the input. Although most resistive screens are very responsive they don’t react to swipes and scrolling like the capacitive screen and once you pick up your finger they usually stop. Resistive screens are very versatile and you can use a stylus, your finger or any item to provide pressure to operate.
Capacitive screens rely on the conductive properties of your finger and don’t rely on pressure to react. They are more responsive and are perfect for swiping and pinching objects and for scrolling through pictures, text messages and zooming in and out of web pages. The only drawback with capacitive screens is that you can only use your fingers and won’t work with a stylus, gloves or other objects.
What are the benefits of the capacitive touchscreens coming to the market?
The nice thing about these new models coming out with capacitive touchscreens is that they are not sacrificing other features to keep the price low. The units from Wopad, Herotab and Ramos all have great features that make them a stellar android tablet. You can expect more manufacturers to come out with more models very quickly.
Should you get a capacitive touchscreen?
As more manufacturers add capacitive touchscreens to their product lines they will become more affordable but they will still be more expensive than the resistive screen models.
The resistive screen models will probably be loaded with more features to keep them attractive to consumers and if you don’t need the convenience or feel of the capacitive screens then they will be a good choice for you. If you prefer the capacitive screen then you will find some great bargains in the android tablet market.