3D Touch debuted in the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus and has been a hallmark of bitten-apple logo smartphones for several years now. For two generations, we will not find it in new Apple devices, which many regret. However, there is a ray of hope – the option may return in an improved form.
3D Touch may return
If I had to point out which feature of my old iPhone 7 Plus I miss the most, I would point to 3D Touch without hesitation. This may seem strange to some, because this is just an additional gadget that Apple has successfully replaced with the Haptic Touch function, i.е. holding some interface elements for a longer time.
It’s true that you can live without 3D Touch, but for many people who got used to it, it was a solution to make everyday smartphone navigation easier. The pressure detection saves a few seconds compared to the current drop down menu after a long press. Apple has probably realized its mistake and wants to return this feature to its smartphones (and not only).
As reported by Patently Apple , the US Patent and Trademark Office has published drawings and descriptions of many of the solutions that the giant decided to keep. They concern various forms of pressure force transducers and their applications in future devices.
Pressure sensors in new Apple products
One of the new solutions involves the use of sensors in the Apple Watch button and a special watch band. This can make it easier to use health-promoting features such as blood pressure detection.
Anecdotal information indicates that this year’s Apple Watch Series 8 should offer new health-related features, so there is a shadow of a chance that a similar solution will be implemented in the latest generation of smartwatches.
Other patents cover products such as MacBook trackpads and iPhone displays. According to the received patent, due to the placement of microelectromechanical pressure sensors in them, they can “accurately detect small or gradual changes in pressure force.” This is similar to the operation of sensors removed from smartphones with 3D Touch.
On the other hand, the patent drawings suggest that the new technology will make one major change from the solution known from older iPhones. This time , a set of small sensors placed under the display or another component of the device will be responsible for determining the force of pressure. In the case of the “old” 3D Touch, we were dealing with a single component integrated into the display itself.
What does this mean for users? First of all, the reduction in the cost of production (i.e., the absence of a tangible change in the price of the device and the reduction in repair costs) and the ease of implementation in various types of structures. This could mean the debut of 3D Touch on the iPad, which never had such a feature.
I secretly hope that the described patents will be embodied in a real product. In addition to them, unfortunately, so far nothing indicates the return of the determination of pressing force in new smartphones. We have to reckon with the fact that 3D Touch may soon become just a pleasant memory.
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