Force Touch

Force Touch
Brand Apple Inc.
First released September 9, 2014 (2014-09-09)
Website www.apple.com

Force Touch is a technology developed by Apple Inc. that enables trackpads and touchscreens to distinguish between different levels of force being applied to their surfaces. First unveiled on September 9, 2014 during the Apple Watch conference, Force Touch is a pressure sensitive multi-touch technology.[1] The technology is designed to add another method of input to Apple's devices. Beginning with the iPhone 6S, Force Touch has been introduced to many of the products within Apple's lineup, including the Apple Watch, MacBook, MacBook Pro, and Magic Trackpad 2.

Hardware

Force Touch is operated with many components. On Apple Watch, a series of electrodes line the curvature of the screen. When a press is detected, these electrodes determine the pressure applied. A similar process occurs in trackpad applications of the technology (such as in the MacBook Pro and Magic Trackpad 2), although sensory information is determined by a series of four sensors that align with the corners of the trackpad. The feedback is then relayed to the "Taptic Engine", an electromagnetic linear actuator. Unlike typical motors, the linear actuator does not move in circular formations, but rather in straight horizontal lines back and forth. The Taptic Engine produced immediate feedback without the need to offset the balance of mass. The feedback provided is called haptic feedback, a very precise vibration that relays information back to the user with precision.[2]

Functionality

Extending past the multi-touch ability of touchscreen, Force Touch has a number of operations in Apple software. Information such as reminders and dates can be "force-clicked" to expand them and perform more actions. On the Retina Macbook and 2015 Macbook Pro, users can increase the rate of fast forward of videos simply by exerting a larger pressure on the Force Touch trackpad.

Products

Force Touch is currently embedded into the screens and trackpads of the Apple Watch, MacBook Pro Retina, MacBook (Retina), and the Magic Trackpad 2.

3D Touch

A more sensitive version of Force Touch named "3D Touch" is included in the iPhone 6S. 3D Touch works using capacitive sensors integrated directly into the display. When a press is detected, these capacitive sensors measure microscopic changes in the distance between the backlight and the cover glass. This information is then combined with accelerometer signals and touch sensors to provide an accurate interpretation of the user's intentions. The linear actuator within the Taptic Engine is capable of reaching peak output in just one cycle, and produce vibrations that last 10 milliseconds. When you press or hold the iPhone screen, it will trigger pressure-sensitive capability that will open up menus and actions on iPhone 6s or 6s Plus, like you see on Apple Watch. You just have to press down or hold the screen and you can pull up or open up context-sensitive menus, switch or close apps or can also see photo effects like Live Photos. So, like on an Apple Watch, you just have to press or force your Apple iPhone 6s screen to do certain things.[3] The 3D Touch technology allows the device to recognize the pressure of a user's touch inputs, thus distinguishing between normal and more forceful touches.[4]

When the touch sensors can distinguish the different pressure levels for the OS to process, the Taptic and Haptic Engines give the feedback to the user by imitating the sense of clicking similar to clicking on physical keyboard.[5]

Future

Force Touch, and its ability to bring new dimensions to user interfaces and interactive computing, suggests that ease of use is something that tech companies will hold very high on their list of priorities, according to Jony Ive, Chief Design Officer at Apple.[6] Just months after the introduction of 3D Touch in iPhone, rumors suggested that Samsung will include a similar hardware in their upcoming Samsung Galaxy phones, and other devices.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "What is Force Touch? Apple's haptic feedback technology explained - Pocket-lint". www.pocket-lint.com. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
  2. ↑ "Getting under the surface of Apple's new Force Touch trackpad". Macworld UK. Retrieved 2015-11-10.
  3. ↑ Tyrangiel, Josh (September 9, 2015). "3D Touch explained: Why is Apple’s new technology such a big deal?". Technobuffalo. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  4. ↑ Tyrangiel, Josh (September 9, 2015). "How Apple Built 3D Touch". Bloomberg News. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Force Touch, Opening Many New Possibilities For Interactions". Eyerys. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Apple". Apple. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
  7. ↑ "Samsung Reportedly Adding A '3D Touch' Feature To Galaxy Phones Next Year". Forbes. Retrieved 2015-11-09.

Further reading

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