Thursday, September 06, 2012

Apple Insider

I'm hearing rumours that the immiment iPhone 5 may use a what seems to be a variation of the iPod click wheel for input.

Apparently, the iDial, formerly codenamed the finger wheel, is circular with ten finger holes in a partial ring near the perimeter. Unnamed sources indicate it is mounted via a shaft extending from inside the telephone and sits approximately 1⁄4 in (6 mm) above a faceplate which is is printed with letters and numbers corresponding to - and visible through - each finger hole.

To dial a number, the user puts a finger* in the corresponding finger hole and rotates the iDial clockwise until it reaches the finger stop. The user then pulls out the finger, and a spring in the dial returns it to the resting position

* the finger need not be sandpapered

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