Now this is strange and exciting all at the same time: Nokia phones will soon be toting touchscreens that touch back, physically responding to your actions.

Now this is strange and exciting all at the same time: Nokia phones will soon be toting touchscreens that touch back, physically responding to your actions.

Don’t worry, it’s not going to feel like your mobile is prodding your privates when it’s in your pocket (thankfully, the tech isn’t quite there yet). What this VibeTonz technology will do is dramatically bump up the range and variety of vibrations your mobile is capable of emitting: just like a console joypad, it could start violently rumbling when you’re playing a game; or bounce along to the beat of one of your tunes – a bit like the boot of a chavved-up Vauxhall Nova. Safe.

Of course you can have loads of different types of vibrations to alert you to incoming calls, voicemails and texts too, but probably the most useful aspect we can think of that it will provide feedback when you’re using a touchscreen – so every time your digit prods the screen successfully, you’ll get a little shake out of the phone, telling you your touch has registered. It means using a touch screen will get that tiny bit easier, as you’re not relying solely on sight and sound to tell you what’s going on. In other words, you’ll be picking up good vibrations (and after that pun, we’ll be picking up our coat…).

No word as yet as to when the first VibeTonz-equipped Nokias will show up, but with Samsung’s E770 already sporting the tech, they’re probably not too far around the corner.