Sony Xperia V Will Use ‘Sensor-On-Lens’ Touchscreen Technology, Similar To Apple’s New Displays

In amidst all the iPhone 5 rumors that have been swirling around for the last few week, we’ve heard constant mention of Apple’s in-cell touchscreen technology, which will apparently allow the touch membrane to be integrated into their LCD display. The idea is that this will allow the whole screen assembly to be thinner.

As it turns out, Apple isn’t the only one working on a technology like this. At the recent IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, Sony unveiled a whole bunch of new phones, including a flagship Android device called the Xperia V. What they didn’t mention at IFA, but have now mentioned in an official blog post, is that the Xperia V uses something they call “sensor-on-lens touch screen technology.” From the looks of it, it’s exactly the same idea as Apple’s in-cell touch panel, and will accomplish exactly the same thing.

As you can see in Sony’s handy diagram, there won’t be a separate layer for the touch membrane, as in most current LCD touchscreen. Instead, the touch sensor is integrated into the lens. Sounds pretty much the same as Apple’s tech to us.

In addition to the new found skinniness of these integrated touchscreens, Sony says it will also make the screen look better; the elimination of an extra layer will make for “less haze and about 5% better display luminance.”