Synaptics Focuses on Keeping Costs Low with New Touch Controllers

Synaptics has launched two new touchscreen controller solutions. Part of its ClearPad line, the offerings are aimed at OEMs looking for cost-effective solutions for high-volume production.

The ClearPad S3603 is designed for smartphone integrations, while the ClearPad S7611 is aimed at tablets and PCs. Both offer low-power wake-up functionality and are designed to facilitate touch interaction even with impediments like moisture and gloves.

But it’s the solutions’ pricing that Synaptics is most keen to highlight. In a statement announcing the new ClearPad offerings, the company quoted IDC Mobile Device Trackers Program VP Ryan Reith as stating that in Q1 of this year, “devices with prices less than $200 accounted for more than 50 percent of global smartphone shipments,” with OEMs increasingly looking to improve performance on their budget-priced devices to stay competitive.

That’s where the ClearPad S3603 and S7611 come in, with Synaptics asserting that they offer a high level of performance and a low price. And with Synaptics now working with Precise Biometrics, a high-profile algorithm software provider in the OEM market (among others), to bring its technology into mobile devices, there’s a good chance that many OEMs will take notice of its latest solutions.