Touchscreens all the rage

Apple’s iPhone may be the world’s most talked about handset at present, but one of its most prominent features – the touchscreen – is far from unique. In fact, touchscreens seem to be all the rage these days.

On Tuesday, Japanese operator NTT DoCoMo, unveiled its own touchscreen device, the D800iDS, which with its white clamshell casing and dual screens, does not look dissimilar from its namesake, the Nintendo DS.

Other Asian manufacturers have been experimenting with touchscreens as well. Korean manufacturer LG Electronics is developing a device, the KE850, that looks to come from its portfolio of Chocolate phones but has no hard keys, just a 400 x 240 touchscreen.

Another device which also bears a striking similarity to the iPhone, is the Neo1973, from open Linux proponents OpenMoko and Taiwanese motherboard and electronics firm FIC.

Telecoms.com first wrote about the Neo1973 in November, when the company gave a first look at its forthcoming touchscreen device.

More recently, Sean Moss-Pultz, the founder of OpenMoko, told telecoms.com that he was amazed that Apple had managed to keep the design under wraps, given that the iPhone is thought to be being assembled in Taiwan, where the Neo1973 is also manufactured.

In other iPhone news, it is now rumoured that leading Canadian mobile operator, Rogers Wireless, may be the second company to roll out the device. Rogers is thought to be in discussions with Apple and a partnership similar to that with Cingular Wireless is reported to be imminent.

DoCoMo did introduce a feature the iPhone does not have in one of its other devices unveiled Tuesday though. The SO703i device features an aroma designed to relax users as they make a call.