SurePress was BlackBerry method to enhance its touchscreen smartphone. At the time, BlackBerry (Research In Motion) that was still at the top, patented more than 40 U.S. patents that are directed towards mobile touchscreen and haptic feedback. The patents BlackBerry owns relate to screen and sensor manufacturing and components, as well as the use of such feedback for various user operations.
One of the patents is BlackBerry's US 9,092,057, entitled "Electronic device including touch-sensitive display and actuator for providing tactile feedback".
The technology was first included on the Storm lineup in 2008.
BlackBerry also patented general concepts of integrating a click with a touchscreen that provide a tactile feedback, similar to what a user would experience when using a physical keyboard. The patents date back to 2007. This has made BlackBerry to the first to market a mobile device with a touchscreen that include haptic feedback features.
As the first device from BlackBerry that feature touchscreen and no physical keyboard, Storm was a competitor to the the first generation iPhone, and some other highend smartphones. But it wasn't performing well on the market, making many people considered Storm as the single biggest disaster in smartphone history.