iPhone 6s to have ‘3D Touch’ three-level, next-gen Force Touch interface.

One of the cornerstone features of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, to be announced next Wednesday, is a screen based on the Force Touch technology from the latest MacBook trackpads and the Apple Watch. However, as we noted in previous articles such as our event expectations roundup from yesterday, the Force Touch feature in the new iPhones will actually be a next-generation version of the technology. According to sources familiar with the new iPhones, the new pressure-sensitive screen will likely be called the “3D Touch Display”…

While the MacBook trackpads and Apple Watch sense two levels of pressure, the differentiation between a tap and a press, the new iPhones will actually sense three levels of pressure: a tap, a press, and a deeper press, according to sources. The 3D Touch name is therefore derived from the new Force Touch sensor’s ability to sense three dimensions of pressure, rather than two. This opens up the door to new user-interface tricks, such as shortcut gestures across the iPhone 6s version of iOS 9.

In an article profiling the new Force Touch feature earlier this year, we shared a few additional examples of how the new iPhone will take advantage of the new screen technology:

• New to the Force Touch experience, a user can look up a point of interest in the Maps application, and then Force Touch on the destination to immediately begin turn-by-turn directions. Currently, if a user wants to start navigating to a destination, she must search for the point of interest, click the navigation logo on the map view, then click another button to actually start navigating. In this case, the Force Touch gesture will skip two steps.
• In the Music application, a user can Force Touch on a listed track to be presented with some of the most commonly used actions. For instance, if a user deep presses on the listing for a song, a menu will appear to quickly add the song to a playlist or save it for offline listening. This Force Touch gesture would act as a substitute for clicking the actions button on the right side of each track listing in the Music app.
• Another feature in testing, according to one source, are shortcuts that appear after Force Touching an app icon on the Home screen. For example, if a user deep presses on the Phone app icon, he could choose to shortcut directly to the Voicemail tab. This could also apply to deep pressing the News app icon and being taken directly to either the Favorites or For You tabs.
• Some of the Force Touch gestures will come from Apple’s latest MacBooks. For instance, a user can Force Touch a link in Safari to see a preview of that webpage. The gesture also works for deep pressing on an address or contact name to see a preview of a map view or contact card, respectively. Similarly, a user can Force Touch a word to look up its definition.

With three dimensions, developers will likely be able to create new types of games that take advantage of the new technology. The updated Force Touch screen is also set to make its way to the iPad Pro, where it will be leveraged by a non-traditional-looking stylus accessory. The iPad Pro will be announced on Wednesday as well, according to sources.

The new 3D Touch screen is likely to work in tandem with a new Taptic Engine to provide physical feedback to the user. Check out our full roundup of what else to expect from the new iPhones, including support for a new 12 megapixel camera with 4K video recording capabilities, an upgraded FaceTime camera, faster chips, animated wallpapers, and a new Rose Gold color option.

Force Touch makes early iPhone appearance in concept video

Given that we’ve already seen how Force Touch is implemented on the Apple Watch and MacBook, this neat conceptual video shows some of the many ways we may use the technology in new iPhones.

Created by Cult of Mac reader Maximilian Kiener, the video shows how the iPhone’s Control Center could be modified so a light tap would toggle features like Airplane Mode and Wi-Fi, while a sustained hard tap brings up the Settings menu.

Check it out below:

“I created the prototype like most of my other prototypes in JavaScript, HTML and CSS,” Kiener says. “I then just open it in Safari and save it to the home screen. Then I can let it run in fullscreen.”

KGI Securities’ Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has previously claimed Force Touch on the iPhone 6s will be a bit different from the implementations users have currently seen. Instead of detecting pressure from users’ fingers, it will monitor “the contact area on which the finger touches the screen to decide how big the pressure is.”

Force Touch Panels Enter Mass Production Ahead of ‘iPhone 6s’ Launch.

As the launch of the so-called “iPhone 6s” and “iPhone 6s Plus” inches closer, suppliers have begun shipping Force Touch panels for the next-generation smartphones, according to DigiTimes. The report claims that Apple’s supply chain partners started shipping Force Touch panels in limited quantities in June before ramping up production of the pressure-sensitive modules in July.

Taipei Times vaguely reported that Apple’s touch panel supplier TPK expects widespread adoption of pressure sensors, presumably for Force Touch, later this year. Force Touch, an existing Apple Watch and MacBook feature, is a pressure-sensitive technology that will enable future iPhones to distinguish between a light tap and deep press and complete different actions accordingly.

Taiwan-based website DigiTimes has a mixed track record at reporting on Apple’s upcoming product plans, but its sources within the upstream supply chain have proven reliable in the past. Apple has also announced new iPhones in September or October since the iPhone 4s, so suppliers ramping up Force Touch production is to be expected with less than two months to go.

The “iPhone 6s” and “iPhone 6s Plus” are rumored to feature the same 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch screen sizes, an A9 processor with 2GB of RAM, Force Touch, a faster Qualcomm LTE chip, an improved 12-megapixel rear-facing camera and 7000 Series aluminum. The overall design of the smartphones will likely be nearly identical to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

Leaked iPhone 6s front panel looks awfully familiar.

The iPhone 6s is likely to be revealed within the next two months, which means the leaks are starting to flow out of the supply chain like toxic fumes pouring out of Foxconn factories. We got our first look at a purported iPhone 6s rear shell last week, and now a new set of pictures of an alleged iPhone 6s front panel have leaked online.

The front panel glass is almost identical to the iPhone 6 display, which is pretty much exactly what you’d expect for an “s” upgrade. The source claims that the display panels for the white and gold units are currently in production and ready to be shipped to assemblers.

Here’s another shot of the front glass:

Unfortunately, Nowhereelse’s sources weren’t able to confirm whether the front display is made with sapphire crystal, or if Force Touch technology will be built into the display.

The iPhone 6s is expected to be revealed in September. Other rumored features include an improved DSLR-like camera sensor, an A9 processor, more RAM, improved battery life, and a more precise Touch ID sensor.

Apple component orders again hint that Force Touch is coming to iPhone 6s.

More and more evidence is racking up that Apple will introduce its Force Touch technology — previously seen in the Apple Watch and recent MacBook models — as a chief feature for the upcoming iPhone 6s.

According to a new report citing industry sources, Apple has upped its orders for the flexible printed circuit boards necessary for incorporating Force Touch into its next-gen iPhones — with its main FPCB suppliers being Zhen Ding Technology and Flexium Interconnect.

Established KGI Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously suggested that Force Touch will be slightly different in the iPhone 6s compared to the Apple Watch or MacBook. Instead of detecting pressure from users’ fingers, Kuo has written that the iPhone’s Force Touch tech will monitor “the contact area on which the finger touches the screen to decide how big the pressure is.”

This difference is said to be reflected in the price Apple is paying for its iPhone 6s Force Touch sensors, which reportedly carry a price tag of $13-$14 each — or around 2.5 times more expensive than the $4-$5 Force Touch sensors used in the Apple Watch.

Initially Apple was said to be considering including Force Touch as an iPhone 6s Plus exclusive (a decision which makes very little sense), although it apparently later changed its mind.

New kind of Force Touch could come to next plus-size iPhone.

A new, improved version of the Apple Watch’s Force Touch technology could be coming to Apple’s next-generation plus-sized iPhone — and according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo it may be a significant enough upgrade to persuade Apple to call its next handset the iPhone 7 instead of 6s.

Force Touch is the Apple tech which allows devices to differentiate between light taps and hard taps, opening up a range of new interactions. According to a new report coming out of Taiwan, citing industry insiders, the companies TPK and GIS will supply Force Touch sensors for the next plus-size iPhone at a cost of $13-$14 — roughly 2.5 times more expensive than the $4-$5 Force Touch sensors used for the Apple Watch.

In a research note to investors, KGI’s Ming-Chi Kuo — an analyst with a solid record for Apple predictions — claims that the hardware upgrade will be better than the one used in either the Apple Watch or new 12-inch MacBook. Rather than detecting pressure from users’ fingers, Kuo thinks the Force Touch technology will monitor “the contact area on which the finger touches the screen to decide how big the pressure is.”

Only the iPhone 6s Plus is mentioned by the Taiwanese UDN report, although that doesn’t necessarily mean regular iPhone 6s users will be without Force Touch. While Apple gave the iPhone 6 Plus some unique features, such as optical image stabilization, not seen in the smaller 4.7-inch iPhone 6, incorporating Force Touch into one phone and not the other would mean substantially different interfaces for the two upcoming models.

Unless Force Touch is only used for trivial applications, that’s just not something I can see Apple doing. Another possibility is that Apple would plan to source its Force Touch sensors from different manufacturers, much as it splits the factories which work on the iPhone 6 from the 6 Plus.

A previous report claimed that both the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus will boast Force Touchtechnology, and that they will ship in white, space gray, gold and also a rose gold color. There are also reports of a much-improved camera.

Can’t wait to start dreaming about the next iPhones? Check out our list of features we’d love to see in Apple’s next-gen iPhone.

iPhone 6s to Have “Force Touch” Display.

Although the Apple Watch is getting most of the attention right now, rumors are starting to percolate regarding the next iPhones.  The forthcoming phones will be named the iPhone 6s and will come in the same sizes and design as the current iPhone 6. In addition, their sources (“people familiar with the matter”) say that the display will use the Force Touch feature being introduced in the Apple Watch.

According to Apple’s website, Force Touch “uses tiny electrodes around the flexible Retina display to distinguish between a light tap and a deep press, and trigger instant access to a range of contextually specific controls.”

The use of gestures to control one’s device was Apple’s brilliant innovation, and Force Touch will very effectively expand the repertoire. In fact, Apple has referred to Force Touch as their most significant innovation since their development of Multi-Touch display. I often use tap-and-hold when I tap on links on my iPad in order to see a contextual menu. Force Touch seems like it would be similar—and convenient. The implementation of Force Touch suggests Apple will be moving to a flexible display in the forthcoming phones.

iPhone 6s could get Apple Watch’s ‘3D touch’ tech.

Apple Watch will borrow a lot of tech from the iPhone when it ships in April, but according to a new rumor from supply chain sources in China, Apple is planning to bring one of its wearable’s coolest features to the next iPhone.

The Economic Daily News has reported that Apple is considering adding ‘3D touch’ technology to the iPhone 6s, similar to Apple Watch’s Force Touch. According to the sources, Apple’s is planning to tap US-based Avago Tech as the main supplier for the iPhone 6S 3D touch technology.

The report doesn’t fully explain how Apple will implement the technology on the iPhone 6s, but if it’s the same as Apple Watch, the new displays will use tiny electrodes to distinguish between a light tap and a deep press to trigger contextually specific controls.

Force Touch is particularly useful on the Apple Watch’s small display which limits the amount of multi-touch inputs you can use. Adding it to the iPhone 6S would introduce new layers for inputs in apps, but could also add new complexities to using an iPhone.

Rumors of Apple adding a 3D pressure sensor to the iPhone 6s began to surface last month, along with rumors that camera module could be in for its biggest upgrade ever. Apple isn’t expected to unveil the iPhone 6s until Fall of 2015, so for now it’s worth taking all these rumors with a bigger-than-big serving of skepticism.