There are three main touch-screen technologies. The key differences are how each one detects a touch.
| Feature | Resistive | Capacitive | Infrared |
|---|
| How it detects touch | Two flexible conductive layers that press together when touched, completing a circuit at the touch point | A grid of conductors holds a tiny electrical charge; the human body changes the charge when a finger gets close, and the screen detects the change | A grid of infrared light beams crosses the screen surface; a finger or stylus breaks the beams and the screen detects where |
| Works with... | Almost anything: fingers, gloves, plastic stylus, fingernails | Bare skin only (or specially-conductive styluses); standard gloves and non-conductive objects will not register | Almost anything that can block the light beam (finger, gloved hand, stylus) |
| Multi-touch? | No (or only basic) | Yes | Yes |
Choosing between them
- For a modern smartphone, capacitive is the obvious choice: fast, accurate, supports pinch-to-zoom.
- For an ATM outside in winter, resistive is better: it works with gloved hands.
- For a large interactive whiteboard that needs to work with finger, pen, or hand, infrared is well suited.