Samsung patent reveals an HTC Edge Sense-like pressure-sensitive power button

Samsung today published a patent which suggests that the South Korean giant may have more surprises up its sleeve when it launches its next flagship. [caption id=“attachment_5072761” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”] Samsung Galaxy Note 9. Image: Omkar Patne[/caption] A report by SamMobile states that Samsung is working on a new patent which hints that Samsung could be taking a few pages from HTC’s book and implementing its own version of a pressure-sensitive display that can be triggered by squeezing the phone. The patent titled, ‘Electronic Device And Method Of Controlling the Electronic Device Based On Touch Input’ was filed back in April 2017, describes several implementations of pressure sensitive virtual keys. Now we may have seen Samsung implement a pressure-sensitive home button on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S9 lineup but in this patent, we also see how different levels of pressure trigger different actions on the phone. So far, we have seen HTC phones and even the Pixel phone that featured a squeezable frame, but since Samsung likes to bend the display over the edges, it left only those portions of the display sensitive to pressure. [caption id=“attachment_5489391” align=“alignnone” width=“720”] Samsung squeeze to turn off gesture. Image: SamMobile[/caption] Samsung also described the use of a pressure-sensitive power button which in addition to being the standard switch on/off button, also acts as the reboot and restart button. Each of these functions are triggered at different levels of pressure. Applying pressure, an indicator on the screen shows the user which action will be triggered. This indication is similar to how the alert slider notifies you on OnePlus phones. [caption id=“attachment_5489401” align=“alignnone” width=“720”] Samsung virtual pressure side key. Image: SamMobile[/caption] There is no way to know if and when we’ll be seeing any of these ideas in future Galaxy smartphones. The virtual home key, for example, is already in use and Samsung could have concluded it as the only useful implementation of the ideas in the patent.