In marketing speak, product differentiation is an important aspect which companies use in enhancing the appeal of their products. At the core of it, a smartphone be it from LG or Samsung or HTC or Sony, does essentially almost the same thing, irrespective of who manufactures them. The core differentiation for these OEMs is the layer of user interface (UI) which they have built on top of the Android ecosystem. Though the use of these layers – HTC Sense, Samsung TouchWiz etc. – is debatable, at times we do find some OEMs come up with a gem of a feature which should have been available in the Android platform to begin with.
One such gem from the Korean manufacturer LG was the capability of waking up the smartphone by simply tapping twice on the screen. This feature, dubbed KnockOn was launched with the LG G2 and has been a part of LG’s strategy to incorporate the same on their upcoming devices this year. However, not wanting to rest on its laurels, LG has evolved the KnockOn feature to Knock Code â„¢, which basically allows users to do more than just wake up or unlock their LG device. LG has released a press release stating that the Knock Code â„¢ feature would be coming to the LG G2 and LG G Flex in April this year, with availability being in the works for the LG G Pro2, G2 Mini, F series and L series III. However the update would be launched for a few unspecified countries first, before being released globally.
The Knock Code feature would enable users to set custom knock patterns for carrying out a multitude of functions. The Knock Code divides the display into four invisible quadrants; a user can tap from 2 to 8 times in each quadrant, with a specific sequence, to create their unique Knock Code. In the words of LG – With more than 80,000 possible combinations and no fingerprint streaks, Knock Codeâ„¢ offers a level of security far greater than other devices, even those with fingerprint recognition systems. And because Knock Codeâ„¢ can be implemented anywhere on the screen in any size without having to view the screen, there’s no chance of password theft. LG claims that the Knock Code is more secure than Apple’s Touch-ID.
What’s your take on the Knock Code feature – useful or a mere gimmick? Do let us know in the comments below.