Google bought the developer of "talking" displays Redux
In the wake of the popularity of smartphones with thin frames Google absorbed the British startup Redux, known for its technology of sound transmission through the display devices. Rejection of conventional speakers in smartphones will allow even more space for the screen.
According to sources, the companies entered into a deal in August 2017, and in December the developer finally passed under the wing of the search giant. At how much Google cost this acquisition - not reported. Official website Redux has already stopped working. Apparently, the new owner does not want competitors to know about plans for the future.
How it works?
Redux tech turns the screen into a speaker, and a haptic surface. Trying it out here. The sound is actually coming from the screen. pic.twitter.com/VPAi6TzKk9
- Stan Schroeder (@franticnews) February 28, 2017
Redux owns 178 patents and calls its technology a "bending wave." To play the sound, as well as to simulate tactile feedback, special drives are installed, which cause the display to vibrate. A similar principle is used in OLED-TVs of the flagship Sony line. Such systems can replace the dynamics in mobile devices for two years (not before Google Pixel 4?). The developers argue that the new solution consumes less energy compared to miniature emitters in modern smartphones. And no extra holes, which is good for moisture protection.
Manufacturers have long experimented with the transmission of sound through the screen (Xiaomi Mi Mix, for example). However, existing solutions allow you to replace only the spoken speaker.
Source: Business Insider
