Best Android Vibration Motors
If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last several years while reviewing and dissecting smartphones, it’s that one of the very first things you feel when using a phone — its vibration motor — has a big impact on how it actually feels to use the device on a daily basis. This might not be a big deal for everyone, but it’s a big deal to me. If I have vibrate on touch enabled, I feel the vibrator hundreds of times per day. And even if I don’t, most keyboards — like the Google Keyboard — will give you a little vibrating feedback with every single keypress. A quality vibration motor helps make — and is sometimes a sign of — a better phone.
And yes, I realize that most average consumers probably don’t care. But as someone who is an Apple-loyalist-turned-Android-user, the feel of an Android phone matters to me. The quality of the materials matters to me. How the phone feels in my hand matters to me. And attention to detail — something that Android OEMs have definitely struggled with in years past — is a big part of how I review a phone. One of those details that often gets overlooked is the vibration motor. We talk about the speed of processors, benchmarks, and screen quality, but why don’t we talk about vibration motors? It’s a cheap part, but it matters.
It’s subtle and not often talked about, but I want to talk about it more. Here’s my ranking of the best Android vibrating motors:
1. LG V10 | 9/10
Based on the phones I’ve tried in recent years, the LG V10 takes the cake for this guide. Key presses when typing on the keyboard and the feedback you get when tapping the home button feels great. The vibration motor has a tight kick to it, and it feels smooth. Typing is a joy. There’s very little buzziness. High quality vibrating motor.
2. Xperia X Performance | 9/10
I’d say this one is about on par with the LG V10. It has a nice kick to it, absolutely no buzziness, and it well represents the X Performance’s high price and great build quality.
