Click to Skip Ad
Closing in...

Next-gen iPhone 6s may include an awesome new ‘force touch’ feature

Published Mar 2nd, 2015 11:04AM EST
iPhone 6s Specs

If you buy through a BGR link, we may earn an affiliate commission, helping support our expert product labs.

It’s only March, which means we’re still a few months away from a deluge of iPhone 6s rumors making their way down the pipeline. Still, a recent report from AppleInsider sheds some light on an interesting feature Apple may introduce on the next-generation iPhone.

DON’T FORGET: Apple holding March 9th special event for new products

According to the report, Apple’s upcoming iPhone will feature “Force Touch” input functionality, the very same feature Apple uses on the upcoming Apple Watch. According to Apple, Force Touch incorporates tiny electrodes that can ably distinguish between a tap and a deep press on a display.

By differentiating between two distinct types of touches, iOS will presumably be able to present a wider array of controls and options to users. And in what might very well be a dash of  hyperbole, Apple’s website adds that Force Touch is the “most significant new sensing capability since Multi-Touch.”

As for its inclusion in the yet to be unveiled iPhone 6s, AppleInsider reports that it has been a feature Apple engineers were working on while developing the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models.

One person — who has recently proven extremely knowledgable regarding Apple’s forward-looking plans — said the company toyed with putting Force Touch in the iPhone 6 last year, but “calibration” issues led to the feature being pulled from the device during its development cycle. With the Apple Watch release imminent, any issues preventing a potential iPhone debut have presumably been resolved, as the company’s current roadmap calls for its extension to the 2015 iPhones.

Once the Apple Watch hits store shelves, it’ll be interesting to give Force Touch a spin and assess whether or not such a feature would prove beneficial on a much larger display.

Lastly, AppleInsider’s report claims that Apple’s next-gen iPhones will not include a dual lens camera system capable of taking DSLR quality images, a rumor which first surfaced via the typically reliable John Gruber this past November.

Yoni Heisler Contributing Writer

Yoni Heisler has been writing about Apple and the tech industry at large with over 15 years of experience. A life long expert Mac user and Apple expert, his writing has appeared in Edible Apple, Network World, MacLife, Macworld UK, and TUAW.

When not analyzing the latest happenings with Apple, Yoni enjoys catching Improv shows in Chicago, playing soccer, and cultivating new TV show addictions.