What to choose? Capacitive Touch Screen vs Resistive Touch Screen

Capacitive and resistive are two technologies for making Touch Panel screens. While capacitive technology was introduced earlier, resistive was used in consumer electronics for a long time. However, now capacitive panels are relatively common.

What Is A Capacitive Touch Panel?

Capacitive touch panels are the panels that we usually find on the latest smartphones and laptops. These directly react with the finger when you touch the panel. It is because these panels have evenly spread charges in the screen, and when we touch them with our finger, the natural conductivity of our body creates a change in those charges, which is then sensed by sensors.

It is very accurate as these sensors can effectively determine the location of touch on the protective layer of glass.

Pros Of Capacitive Touch

The pros of capacitive touch include the following:

• It is usually made of a top glass layer, so it offers better durability and better display quality
• It is easy to use and can be used with bare fingers.
• Cleaning is easier and also supports customization.
• Higher sensitivity and does not need any pressure.
• Multi-touch sensing is supported with capacitive touch technology.

Cons Of Capacitive Touch

The cons of capacitive touch include the following:

• It is costlier in comparison.
• The viewing angles are not great in all cases.
• There are chances of accidental touches.
• Repairing can be difficult in some cases.
• Sometimes does not work with a stylus of every material.

What Is A Resistive Touch Panel?

The resistive touch panel is the touch screen technology found in the earlier iteration of mobile phones. Those were usually operated with a nail or a stylus because they have two layers of conductive coating. When we touch the top layer, the pressure helps sensors determine the touch's location. Thus, this panel technology works on the resistance principle hence the name.

This touch screen is not covered with materials like glass, and it is usually layered with PET film on top and glass as the lower layer.

Pros Of Resistive Touch

The pros of resistive touch include the following:

• It is relatively cheaper.
• Resistive touch works at different angles.
• It works with pressure, so it minimizes the accidental touches
• The sensor resolution is much higher.
• Works with adequate pressure and does not need a finger or metal necessarily.

Cons Of Resistive Touch

The cons of resistive touch include:

• It is not suitable for multi-touch applications.
• Does not work on touch, needs a little bit of pressure.
• The display is not the clearest.
• Repairing is difficult, and the screen stops working even with a small crack.
• Damaging or scratching the screen is pretty easy.

Which One To Choose?

The capacitive touch panel is a better choice than the resistive panel. However, in some cases, it is better to stick to resistive technology. With each one having its benefits and demerits, choosing one comes down to your specific requirements and usage environment.Both Touch Panel technologies come with different pros and cons. So, when appointing one for your use case, go with one that brings the best benefits with the least cons for your use case.