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The devil’s in the details with haptic feedback. It can be good, but many implementations are bad.

Apple’s implementation on the Magic Trackpad, for example, is incredibly effective. On iPhone, it’s...fine but not great (it’s not usually a net negative, at least).

One of the worst I’ve ever seen was on an early Verizon “iPhone killer” back around 2008. The whole phone just vibrated — it wasn’t positional at all, the motor started up too slowly so it felt mushy, and it was used far too often.



> Apple’s implementation on the Magic Trackpad, for example, is incredibly effective.

+1. I held off on a new MacBook for years, stubbornly clinging to a 2014 model on the expectation that an imitation click can't possibly be as good as a physical one. But it's been entirely seamless, and if anything, a slight improvement, with consistent (and adjustable) response across the entire surface, and the perceptible misfire rate is zero.

I look forward to the day when iOS device haptic response is that good; it's certainly not there yet. :)


There was also the Blackberry Storm which had a physically clicking screen[1] and I thought it (the tech) would take off and be the next big thing!

[1]: https://youtu.be/bLkb8HLZ_vQ?t=103


For the record, I looked it up, and the phone I was remembering was the LG Voyager: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LG_Voyager


That takes me back! I remember the vibrations of that phone. I think that was my last non-Apple phone.


> Apple’s implementation on the Magic Trackpad, for example, is incredibly effective.

Not really, it just feels like a much mushier clickpad.


What trackpad are you used to? How much clicker does it get compared to for example a MacBook Pro trackpad?


Can't deny your subjective experience, but I love it:

- I can click anywhere on the surface and receive the same feedback — it's highly realistic

- Fewer moving parts — in the past, I've had to replace trackpads on nearly all my Mac laptops after a few years




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