Nokia to Launch Smudge-Free Touchscreen Handsets

One of the new things that Nokia should bring to devices in the near future is a smudge-free touchscreen for its handsets, some of the latest reports on the matter suggest.

The company has already demoed advancements in the area at the Nokia World conference in London, and says that the technology will be included in future devices.

At the said event, Nokia demoed the smudge-free screen on a Nokia 700, but did not offer a specific time frame for when users will be able to enjoy it on their mobile phones.

Nokia calls the technology 'super hydrophobic'. It is a nano coating developed in Cambridge, consisting of a thin layer than has been applied to phones, and which is capable of repelling water and other liquids.

Thus, Pocket-lint explains, the oil from fingers will be repelled as well, which means that prints will not stick to the surface.

Through this technique, Nokia has created a coating that will either not allow smudges attach to the screen, or will make them much easier to rub off.

According to the Finnish mobile phone maker, the coating will not affect the clarity of the display.

Moreover, by applying the new technology to its handsets, Nokia also made them a bit more water resistant, since moisture is repelled.

Nokia is not the only mobile phone maker who is trying to find the solution for eliminating fingerprints and smudges from the screen or cases of mobile phones.

Apple has been granted a patent in the area as well, for a technique called Physical Vapor Desposition, in which a liquid replenishes any applied coating.

However, Nokia's idea is completely different, it seems, although the final purpose is a similar one.

Since they already had a working handset with the new coating on it available for showcasing, Nokia might be set to make the feature available in its commercial products in the not-too-distant future.