iPhone 5 Touch Screen Twice as Fast as Android Touch Screen

[MacBram]

The trick is that iOS runs the driver that checks the touch sensor, and the driver for the graphics rendering pipeline that displays the result of the touch, both at a higher priority and/or more often than does the Android OS kernel.

There's not too much the touchscreen vendor and the app developer can do if the OS thinks it should be busy doing other stuff.

But it's more than that, I believe...

In the OS: it's more than priority. Apple also has better algorithms for predicting what a user was trying to do.

In the screen: I don't think all capacitive touch screens are the same, regardless of vendor. Hasn't Apple spent some time and resources looking at the materials and the lamination of layers in their screens, and where and how to place the sensors in relation to the surface of the glass? Apple isn't just asking for an off-the-shelf capacitive screen -- they are providing the blue-print.

 

[ChrisCW11]

And yet

After updating to iOS 7, I have to press the play/pause button about 4 times before it responds on the new Control Center.

 

[moxin]

always encourage small details, that what make up the incredible experience of using a device.

 

[Kendo]

This would be more meaningful to me if I used a tablet for drawing or painting all the time.

Although, in that case, I'd pick a tablet with a separate non-capacitive digitizer for its speed, and ability to recognize the fine point of an active pen.

Now, if this affects typing speed, then yes, it would be meaningful to a lot of people.

(The video seems to concentrate on speed of recognizing movement, not of tap recognition speed.)
.

As a touchscreen engineer for over 20 years, I'm not sure why you would try to downplay this engineering feat? The reactive speed of the iPhone doubles their competitors. When you break down these touch devices to their foundation, isn't touch screen response time the most important aspect? After all they are touch screen devices.

If I'm a battery engineer and some company makes a battery last 30 hours when the competition lasts 15, I'm not gonna say "Well a 30 hour battery life isn't meaningful to me because I'm always gonna be near a power source within 15 hours of any given day to charge my battery."

 

[croooow]

You have my point and an argument doesn't improve for keep repeating it.

 

[DeathTheKid]

Many People Think That More CPU/GPU Power Will Make Android Devices Smoother

This is actually not the case...

If you go to: this and read in the comments. The individual who actually performed the tests says he performed the same tests on a Samsung Galaxy Nexus, which has almost two year old hardware (it's "only" a 1.2GHz dual-core) and got an average of 114ms. They didn't include the phone in the chart because it is no longer a flagship phone of Android. This is interesting considering the GS4 had the same times, but has more "modern" hardware and 4 cores.

It could be that plain vanilla Android is more responsive than the manufacturers frameworks. However, it does seem more power != more responsiveness on Android as people seem to think. I am really interested to see how the Google Play Edition of HTC One and GS4 would perform.

Here is the original comment:

Both great points. We actually also tested the Samsung Galaxy Nexus which is a TI OMAP and found a mean of 114ms. (We didn’t include the results here since that’s no longer a flagship phone) We should definitely try the Samsung and Nvidia chips too.

 

[pr5owner]

Who cares about all that when you try to use it and it feels like you are rubberbanding through mud just using the interface?

yeah its so slow.... have you tried using ios7 on an iphone 4?

2x is a little exaggerated, but the default (and as I believe, he went a little above default for most things)

AMD Radeon HD 8970M 2GB GDDR5
AMD Quad Core A10-5750M APU (up to 3.50GHz/4MB Cache)
16GB DDR3-1600 Memory
120GB SSD + 1TB 5400 RPM
802.11ac wifi and gigabit ethernet

But the battery life SUCKS. He says 3 hours MAX.

lol that AMD cpu sucks, its HALF the speed of last years i7, and the new haswell i7 blows it out of the water
3400 vs 7700 passmarks

http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=AMD+A10-5750M+APU
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Core+i7-3630QM+@+2.40GHz

also nobody buys a gaming laptop for battery life, nobody plays games on battery, if he wanted to make a compromise so he COULD get battery life, the laptop should of been one with nvidia optimus.

that 8790 is only a mid end card, real high end gaming laptops have SLI which are literally more than double the speed (its ~7K vs 28K in 3dmark vantage, GT650 vs 780m SLI)

 

[arsenal6]

lol at all these people gloating about a .059 second faster response time.

.02 seconds is a huge difference let alone .059 considering how quick your mind processes things.

If you are used to that lag its different, when we come from a near lag free system. It feels like forever.

 

[melendezest]

Aaaaaaand this is why I'm pissed at Apple.

Because they just refuse to give me a bigger screen iPhone and force my (spoiled) behind to consider moving away from the platform.

I'm glad that their multitouch sensor is smooth: I need to zoom, scroll, and keep my finger on the dang screen so i can see stuff a lot more than i'd have to (if they just gave me one more iPhone choice...)

Frustrating.

 

[Lankyman]

As a touchscreen engineer for over 20 years, I'm not sure why you would try to downplay this engineering feat? The reactive speed of the iPhone doubles their competitors. When you break down these touch devices to their foundation, isn't touch screen response time the most important aspect? After all they are touch screen devices.

If I'm a battery engineer and some company makes a battery last 30 hours when the competition lasts 15, I'm not gonna say "Well a 30 hour battery life isn't meaningful to me because I'm always gonna be near a power source within 15 hours of any given day to charge my battery."

If the boast was of any real significance time wise then the point you make may have some merit. However, milliseconds, really! I have an iPhone for work but I continue to use my Galaxy as it just does a better job and feels nicer to use. For most other tech tasks I use my Apple kit.

----------

.02 seconds is a huge difference let alone .059 considering how quick your mind processes things.

If you are used to that lag its different, when we come from a near lag free system. It feels like forever.

I'd love to conduct a blind test with those who make these claims. I guarantee most would fail miserably.

 

[pr5owner]

I don't know why that poster suggested you try that. That test is incapable of measuring response time. There's latency on both the first and second taps and as long as they are they same, the only thing that will be measured is your own response time. The latency will simply cancel itself out.

In the case of your result, you either have very quick hands or your screen has varying (inconsistent) response times and the response time improved for the second touch.

i think it does have some merit, if it takes the screen 100ms to recognize touch, but you touch it again in 50ms, the screen will think your finger never left the screen.

i am not capable of getting under 0.09 on this old beat up galaxy nexus (this unit was dropped and broken, screen smashed and barely working so its not the best unit to test with)

the screen must recognize 2 unique touches under 90ms in order for the timer to show 90ms, so their 114ms response does not really jive with this test. however, we should see how the testing was done when they release the procedure at a later time..

 

[arsenal6]

If the boast was of any real significance time wise then the point you make may have some merit. However, milliseconds, really! I have an iPhone for work but I continue to use my Galaxy as it just does a better job and feels nicer to use. For most other tech tasks I use my Apple kit.

----------



I'd love to conduct a blind test with those who make these claims. I guarantee most would fail miserably.

…how would a blind test work when you require your eyes to sense the reaction. Put it this way. It's like the delay between the torque in an engine and the throttle response.

 

[Kendo]

If the boast was of any real significance time wise then the point you make may have some merit. However, milliseconds, really! I have an iPhone for work but I continue to use my Galaxy as it just does a better job and feels nicer to use. For most other tech tasks I use my Apple kit.

It is still an engineering feat no? World records in swimming are separated by hundredths of a second. When you have a net worth of 8 billion, does it really matter if you have 16 billion? Or if someone invents a battery that you can fully charge in 5 seconds as opposed to 10? For practical purposes, it is all moot (ie. I have the patience to wait 5 more seconds).

But when the competition (reputable powerhouse companies like Samsung and HTC) have a touch screen response of X, and Apple effectively reduces it by half, that is a major accomplishment. No?

Is it not a difficult task if you and your friends start with $5,000 in the stock market and your friends turn it into $25,000 but you turn it into $50,000? Is that not an exceptional feat? The point I am trying to make is that if X is the norm where EVERYONE is doing it, and you can double (or halve) the process, that is a remarkable achievement whether you are talking milliseconds, seconds, hours, dollars, etc.

 

[SockRolid]

People repeat this a lot, but ironically, it's been pointed out that Apple segregates their hardware and software teams ...

You don't really control an employee unless you control their salary. No irony there.
Apple management controls the salaries of both their hardware and software teams.
Don't they? Or is there some other non-sequitur you can cite to support the opposite?
The net result: hardware and software that work together to create a "Apple Experience."

Now compare Apple's hardware + software teams, within one single corporate management structure, with Google's Android software team, Samsung's hardware team, Google's Motorola Mobility hardware team. Can Google dictate hardware features and specs to Samsung? Nope. Samsung's goals are orthogonal to Google's, especially after the Motorola Mobility acquisition. Good luck creating anything coherent out of that bag of hurt.

 

[matteman50]

I have the new Nexus 7 tablet, it definitely does not feel nearly as responsive as my iPhone. I don't care what android apologists say, android is definitely clunkier and not as polished and responsive as iOS.

Same here, I got the new Nexus 7 and am having the same experience and impressions with the touchscreen lagginess. What's so lamentable about the screen lag is that it detracts from one of Android's biggest potential advantages over iOS: the swipe-to-type keyboard. When functioning, swipe-to-type is way faster than pecking, its speed, ease, and overall grace really shine. But if the first 1/2" of my swipe doesn't get detected by the screen due to lag, then the wrong word comes out. For example if I try to swipe-type "inside", I might get the wrong word or even two words out the other end: "I side" or worse. And having to correct two mistyped words is a real PITA; it usually eliminates any speed advantage over pecking. I don't know what secret Apple has that Android makers don't have, or have but can't use, but it's a Big Deal.

 

[SockRolid]

This is one of the sillier arguments Apple Fans use. I've been a Mac user for years, and owned every iPhone to date, but to say that Apple "Designs their OWN Hardware and Software together is beyond laughable.

Good! The first paragraph of your troll establishes you as "one of us."
And it also establishes your argument with a non-shrill, nearly-plausible premise.

Apple designs their software around a very small subset of industry standard hardware (this goes for both Macs and iOS devices) hence they don't have the biggest problem other platforms have - driver incompatibility.

Oh, so you think Android users are happily downloading drivers for their Galaxies?
Because they have "choice" or because Android is "open"?
Or something?
L. O. L.

Or do you actually think that Apple's superior experience is based on drivers?
And/or driver compatibility?
ROTFLMAO.

There's nothing wrong with this, it does insure the device will "work" better. But if Android only ran on 1 phone or Windows only ran on 1 computer these devices would run just as well and be just as stable as anything Apple produces.

This is one of the sillier arguments Android Apologists use. I've never been an Android user, never owned any Galaxy to date, but to make up fantasies about Android and legacy desktop Windows Hardware and Software running together "on 1 phone" is beyond laughable.

Apple has traded user choice and multiple devices for stability. To do so is neither right or wrong, it's up to each user to decide what works for them. But to continue to state that Apple "designs their software around their own hardware" is disingenuous or, at the very least, shows ignorance of the technology.

Still confused, are you?
Or is it that there just aren't any hardware specs you can quote to put down the iPhone 5S?
You know, because Apple has designed their own 64-bit A7 chip.
And because iOS 7 and all of the Apple apps that come with it are also 64-bit enabled?
And because iOS 7 and the A7 are designed to work together so well.
Because that's the universe we're living in. Right here. Right now.

 

[zipa]

Oh, so you think Android users are happily downloading drivers for their Galaxies?

No. Not users, manufacturers. And writing, not downloading. Now count the different HW combinations of all Android phones out there and compare that to the amount of iOS devices and you will see why it much more likely to find bugs or downright mismatching HW combinations in Android phones.

 

[duffman9000]

After updating to iOS 7, I have to press the play/pause button about 4 times before it responds on the new Control Center.

I think that's caused by the animation. You have to wait until the animation is complete before touching an icon. Yes, I don't like it either.

----------

You don't really control an employee unless you control their salary. No irony there.
Apple management controls the salaries of both their hardware and software teams.
Don't they? Or is there some other non-sequitur you can cite to support the opposite?
The net result: hardware and software that work together to create a "Apple Experience."

Now compare Apple's hardware + software teams, within one single corporate management structure, with Google's Android software team, Samsung's hardware team, Google's Motorola Mobility hardware team. Can Google dictate hardware features and specs to Samsung? Nope. Samsung's goals are orthogonal to Google's, especially after the Motorola Mobility acquisition. Good luck creating anything coherent out of that bag of hurt.

I've read the same articles that kdarling has read (unless he has inside knowledge). Apple used to segregate the iPhone hardware and software teams. I don't know if that continues to be the case, but ex-Apple employees and insiders have talked about this.

 

[paradox00]

i think it does have some merit, if it takes the screen 100ms to recognize touch, but you touch it again in 50ms, the screen will think your finger never left the screen.

i am not capable of getting under 0.09 on this old beat up galaxy nexus (this unit was dropped and broken, screen smashed and barely working so its not the best unit to test with)

the screen must recognize 2 unique touches under 90ms in order for the timer to show 90ms, so their 114ms response does not really jive with this test. however, we should see how the testing was done when they release the procedure at a later time..

Image

That's not really what's being discussed here though. That would be polling speed, the frequency at which the system checks for touch events. As far as I know capacitive screens don't work in that manner. The screens are simply always on and your finger completes a circuit when it touches it.

The delay in response to a touch event is a different matter from that, and a 100 ms response time would pick up two touch events 50 ms apart just fine. First touch would be at 0 ms and the screen would detect it at 100 ms. Second touch would be at 50 ms, but the screen would detect it at 150 ms, 50 ms after the first one. The detection latency could measure in the hours and this would still work. Ever try opening a program on an old computer, only to see nothing happen, but then get 5 instances of it later on because you kept double clicking it? This is this would work along the same idea.

Like I said, if you get a low time, it's probably because the screen picked up your second input faster. For example, if the your second input was detected in 50 ms, both touch events would happen in at the same time, and the stopwatch would read zero (or possible register only one touch and continue). If the second touch in the example took less than 50 ms to be detected, the phone would simply register your second touch as the first one, and your first touch as the second.

 

[Mrbobb]

I guess it is OK to talk specs as long as Apple beats Android. As soon as you bring up specs that are better in an Android device, all of the sudden you are a "specwhore".

Specs are meaningless if they don't translate to real life experiences.

This is what we know of Apple: seamless integration, ease, friendly, responsiveness.

The difference in touch response says whether the device is at your service, or the phone is a DMV counter agent.

 

[Bibbler]

Good! The first paragraph of your troll establishes you as "one of us."
And it also establishes your argument with a non-shrill, nearly-plausible premise.



Oh, so you think Android users are happily downloading drivers for their Galaxies?
Because they have "choice" or because Android is "open"?
Or something?
L. O. L.

Or do you actually think that Apple's superior experience is based on drivers?
And/or driver compatibility?
ROTFLMAO.



This is one of the sillier arguments Android Apologists use. I've never been an Android user, never owned any Galaxy to date, but to make up fantasies about Android and legacy desktop Windows Hardware and Software running together "on 1 phone" is beyond laughable.



Still confused, are you?
Or is it that there just aren't any hardware specs you can quote to put down the iPhone 5S?
You know, because Apple has designed their own 64-bit A7 chip.
And because iOS 7 and all of the Apple apps that come with it are also 64-bit enabled?
And because iOS 7 and the A7 are designed to work together so well.
Because that's the universe we're living in. Right here. Right now.

Kid, you don't have the 1st idea what you even talking about. Save this kind of fanboy clap-track for the faithful. When you use terms like "Android Apologists", "ROTFLMAO", and "L O L", you expose yourself as a mostly ignorant child. If pretty obvious you know absolutely nothing about computers or technology.

Good! The first paragraph of your troll establishes you as "one of us."

Trust me kiddo, I'm not "One of you"... I've forgot more about technology since I started this post than you will ever know. I've also bought more Apple products (and currently own) than you will ever in your life. You don't believe me???? Who cares?

Run along now. Your mommy is calling you. She wants you to eat some supper.

 

[adnbek]

yeah its so slow.... have you tried using ios7 on an iphone 4?

YouTube: video

This thread is not talking about animation speed but the amount of time between input and when the device responds. Even in your vid, you can see the slight delay between when the finger touches the screen and the phone reacts to it. If you don't notice it, just look at the part when he's going through the different tabs in the clock app. When he touches a tab, there's a slight delay between when he touched the tab and when the phone acknowledges the input.

On my friend's HTC One, it's very noticeable when scrolling on webpages or pinching to zoom. There's a split second delay between when the finger is making the motion and when the phone begins the action.

I don't know why it's the case but iPhone has spoiled me with its near-instant response time from inputs that any delay is noticeable to me. Kinda like how high resolution screens has made me notice the pixels more on low res devices.

 

[lokimon]

I guess having a smaller screen size does have advantages. I wonder how well an iPad would do.

 

[Dontazemebro]

Wow, you must be the only one who doesn't understand it. It's not about specs, it's about the experience. The iPhone 4, with outdated hardware, will feel snappier than the galaxy 4, despite the newer processor of the latter, with endless cores.

Wow if only this was true I could've kept my iPhone 4 and passed on the GS4

 

[SockRolid]

Kid, you don't have the 1st idea what you even talking about. Save this kind of fanboy clap-track for the faithful. When you use terms like "Android Apologists", "ROTFLMAO", and "L O L", you expose yourself as a mostly ignorant child. If pretty obvious you know absolutely nothing about computers or technology.



Trust me kiddo, I'm not "One of you"... I've forgot more about technology since I started this post than you will ever know. I've also bought more Apple products (and currently own) than you will ever in your life. You don't believe me???? Who cares?

Run along now. Your mommy is calling you. She wants you to eat some supper.

Bitter much?
You seem kinda butt-hurt.

----------

No. Not users, manufacturers. And writing, not downloading. Now count the different HW combinations of all Android phones out there and compare that to the amount of iOS devices and you will see why it much more likely to find bugs or downright mismatching HW combinations in Android phones.

The only Android handset manufacturer that matters any more is Samsung.
And Samsung barely mentions the word "android" in any of their marketing.
And they've buried generic Android under their (closed, proprietary) TouchWiz skin.
And TouchWiz is already running on Tizen.
And Samsung is on the Tizen Technical Steering Group (along with Intel.)
And Samsung could finally control their own destiny by using Tizen instead of Android.
And the average Galaxy user would never know the difference.

Now tell me again about all the "mismatching HW combinations in Android phones."
And remind us all why any of the non-Samsung combinations matters any more.