Apple patents new pressure sensors: will 3D Touch return?
Apple is working on a new generation of pressure sensors. Could this mean that 3D Touch is making a return soon?
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Apple applies for new Force Touch patent
Do you remember 3D Touch? Apple brought the technology to the iPhone 6S in 2015 and discontinued it with the iPhone 11 in 2019. 3D Touch turned out to be less successful than expected. Pity; because we still regularly think about technology. However, there is hope! Apple has applied for a patent that focuses entirely on a new generation of pressure sensors.
The new pressure sensors are mentioned in combination with Apple Watch smart bands, AirPods, personal medical, sleep trackers, activity trackers and more. The sensors are said to be very small, allowing them to fit into small devices. So it seems to be a new version of Force Touch. We know this from, for example, the Trackpad of the MacBook. It seems to move when you press it, but it doesn’t. Pressure sensors sense when you apply force. Apple’s acclaimed Taptic Engine then simulates a click based on short vibrations.
We don’t yet know exactly what the new generation of pressure sensors are good for. They may be used in the Apple Watch band, for example, to measure your heart rate more accurately. In any case, it’s good to know that Force Touch – and maybe even 3D Touch – have not been forgotten.
The Uncertain Future of Force Touch
We first saw Force Touch on the Apple Watch in 2014. It allowed for multiple inputs on a small screen, because multi-touch wasn’t an option. Then Apple released 3D Touch in 2015, and Force Touch was further expanded to other products.
3D Touch brought all kinds of useful shortcuts to the iPhone. For example, you turned your thumb into a cursor while typing by pressing hard on the keyboard. There was also ‘Peak and Pop’, with which you could already add photos, messages or links preview by pressing hard. If you then pressed even harder, the relevant content became full screen.
Unfortunately, no recent Apple product features 3D Touch – Apple replaced it with Haptic Touch in 2019. This works based on prolonged touches. Force Touch is still available – but no longer on the Apple Watch. The new Apple patent indicates that Apple may want to revive its pressure sensors. We are very curious about what the future of Force Touch and 3D Touch will bring us.
Also read: Explanation: the difference between 3D Touch and Haptic Touch
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