Atmel maXTouch solution enables Kyocera Echo touchscreens

SAN JOSE, USA: Atmel Corp., a leader in microcontroller and touch technology solutions, announced that the Atmel maXTouch mXT224 controller has been selected to power the touchscreens for the Kyocera Echo dual-screen Android phone.

The Echo is the industry's first dual-touchscreen smartphone with two 3.5-inch 480 x 800 displays that can be unfolded and used as a single 4.7-inch 960 x 800 surface, similar to a "tablet" display, or as individual displays. These screens are connected with a slick Kyocera patent-pending sliding liquid-metal "pivot hinge" that can be closed and used as a regular single-screen phone. It can also be unfolded all the way or propped up into a faux-laptop configuration.

The new device is powered by a 1GHz processor running on Android 2.2. The Kyocera Echo includes a 5-megapixel camera with 720p video capture and can run applications including email and YouTube.

The Atmel maXTouch solution offers higher performance, better accuracy, faster response times and lower power consumption than competing solutions to provide a better user experience. Its true unlimited touch functionality and faster performance enable advanced features including rejection of unintended touches, multi-touch stretch/pinch and rotate gestures, and handwriting recognition on devices ranging from handsets to tablets and Netbooks. The maXTouch solution is based on Atmel's proprietary microcontroller technology, combined with software algorithms for a more robust touch solution.

"We are excited to team up with the touch solution leader, Atmel, to help power the industry's first dual-screen smartphone," said Nobuaki Kobayashi, manager of Kyocera Communication Equipment Group. "Atmel maXTouch has proven to give users one of the best touchscreen experiences available, including unlimited touch capabilities, better precision and longer battery life. These features are important, especially with Echo's dual-screen capability."

"We are excited Atmel maXTouch is powering the touchscreens of the first dual-screen smartphone on the market – the Kyocera Echo," said Helen Francis, senior product marketing manager, Atmel. "Atmel maXTouch continues to power the most innovative touchscreen devices. We are thrilled to give Echo users a world-class touchscreen experience when they are using the single or dual-touchscreen option on the device."