Atmel maXTouch S touchscreen controllers promise thinner and lighter devices, reduced display noise

If you're rolling with a smartphone or tablet right now, there's a pretty high chance you've been taking advantage of Atmel's maXTouch technology without even knowing it. The company, which has manufactured touchscreen controllers for a plethora of devices over the last few years, is at CES 2012 to unveil its latest and greatest flagship product: the maXTouch S. Offered in the new lineup is the mXT224S, which focuses on displays between 3.5 and 4.3 inches; the mXT336S, which will be offered for screens between 4.3 and 5.5 inches; and the mXT1664S will take care of devices with anything 10.1 or above. The new line of technology promises to help phones and tablets become thinner and lighter -- the company claims OEMs can reduce a device's thickness by more than one millimeter, in fact -- without sacrificing touch responsiveness or battery life. It also claims to reduce display noise and add stylus support, and will be supported on devices running Android 4.0, Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8. Atmel's sampling the new lineup to customers as we speak, and should have production quantities ready to go before the end of the first quarter. Read all the interesting details in the press release below.