Apple has filed a patent application with US patent office called Multi-touch display screen with localized tactile feedback.
As the name suggests, the patent application reveals that Apple wants to bring haptic tactile feedback to iPhone's touchscreen.
If you are a long time iPhone user and are used to its virtual keyboard, you might find the need of a physical keyboard unnecessary. However, some folks insist that its one of the deal breakers.
According to the patent application:
The display screen can be used to present a visual display which includes a virtual button. A haptic feedback response can be associated with the virtual button. The haptic feedback response can be provided while the virtual button is included in the visual display, or in response to a touch event. For example, the virtual button can vibrate when a touch event occurs in proximity to the virtual button. In addition to virtual buttons, the display can include other user-selectable display elements.
For example, the visual display can include a virtual click wheel associated with a haptic feedback response. For example, the virtual button at the center of the virtual click wheel can vibrate at a different frequency than the virtual wheel surrounding it. The virtual wheel and the virtual button at the center can vibrate while they are included in the visual display, or in response to a touch event. By providing dynamic, localized, haptic feedback at the location of the virtual click wheel, the present invention enables a user to find and operate the virtual click wheel non-visually.
It is also important to note that Apple's patent applications generally reveal a very wide-range of possibilities but might never see the light of day though its interesting to get a glimpse of Apple's recent research effort.
In addition to the tactile feedback patent application, MacRumors has revealed that Apple has also filed patent application for Fingerprint Identification and RFID reader for iPhone.
As always, let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.
that would be very nice =] hopefully its something you can turn on and off…could get annoying…plus a battery drainer (and we know this is already an issue) yet there still implementing things that drain your battery, ugh.
Quote/ “piezoelectric actuators", which will make it easier to use while you are driving the car etc with the help of non-visual hints so you don't have to see the screen to type. Unquote/
Thats about the most stupid quote i've ever read on this site!! Typing whilst driving FFS!!!!
It's f***ing idiots that txt'd or email'd that caused the deaths of 2 of my best friends.
I really hope they DON'T use this idea for that reason alone
THIS IS A BAD IDEA IMO.
I'm sorry to hear that. It was just an example, I agree it wasn't a good one, it is dangerous to use the mobile while driving.
We have updated the post to strike out the example.
Just like vibrus3g in cydia
Yep had it loved it
I have been happy using Haptic Pro, which is an app from Cydia that utilizes that very concept. i have noticed very little if any at all battery drain in doing so. Hopefully the creator of Haptic Pro filed a patent so Apple has to pay him!
I think it's a great idea but I don't think it's going to be executed correctly. I mean, you're still going to need to look at it – I don't think the actuators are going to give enough definition to the button.
I think its a bad idea for the fingerprint. I know i can see my fingerprints all over my phone, untill they can get that problem out of the way it would be a sweet way to keep it secure.
All the posts here brings me very useful information
) I like this blog 
I can learn so much here 
)
People like to to buy "New" things, so to make the iphone "New" again, they have to add something to it that the previous generation doesn't have. They've done this with their ipod line as well as their operating system.
This isn't a new concept, Microsoft is the king of milking a cash cow.
That's a good idea that will enable user to use the virtual keyboard without actually seeing it. Since it uses vibration instead of that, it might cause lot of battery drain when we use this feature.