Learn about 3D Touch technology, available on iOS 9 and beyond, and how it allows developers to add innovative and convenient functionality to mobile apps.
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Apple has become a synonym for modernity, with its new and innovative features which have changed our perception of technology. Anything that was believed to be impossible, Apple gave to us.
As an Apple lover myself, I am sure you are pretty familiar with iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus and how these phones have revolutionized the tech front.
Apple brought us the very first 3D Touch technology. Incorporated in these phones, 3D Touch Technology was brought to us some time ago but has been etched in our hearts forever.
Though quite the rage in the tech world, 3D Touch Technology might not be known to a layman, or even if it is, they still might not have been able to comprehend it.
Here is a very clear and detailed picture of what exactly 3D Touch Technology is.
3D Touch Technology is a new generation of technology, designed specifically for smartphones and related devices. It is also called next-gen multi-touch, which affects the way you touch and operate your smartphone device.
It is a method of input wherein soft touches and hard touches can be differentiated from each other. The principle on which this works is pressure sensitivity. It can easily sense the pressure you are applying on your smartphone device, which makes it easier for users to seek information at a glance between different applications.
To use 3D Touch Technology at its best, you simply need to know two things – Peek and Pop! If you are opting for a lighter touch, you are actually “peeking” into things, while if you are opting for a harder touch, you are “popping” into them.
Now, that we know the basic mechanism, let’s talk about how it works. Let’s say you have just received a text message stating a location for your next meeting. You could simply „peek“ at the text to know whether or not you have the time for this meeting in your schedule/calendar.
Or, you could also view the location of the meeting through maps by “popping” into it. Another example? You can view all your emails in your inbox by pressing on one of them lightly and peeking into them. Whereas, with deeper pressing intensity, you can pop one open.
Many companies introduced pressure sensitive touch before Apple jumped onto the bandwagon. Huawei introduced Force Touch in their smartphone devices, however, they could not ensure practicality for their consumers.
Force touch is effective in differentiating between different kinds of pressure applied on the smartphone screen. It is fast, but not as fast as 3D Touch technology. It could activate the home screen, back, switch multiple functions, and force zoom into pictures, but still was not convenient enough for users. Apple, however, completely changed the game for most market players.
With a few subtle touches, Apple’s 3D Touch Technology worked brilliantly. After the introduction of multi-touch, or 3D touch technology, Apple has also seen a rise in iPhone and iPad users.
3D touch is a smart innovation with the capability of superseding various technological advancements. It is a faster way of accessing things and enhancing your productivity. It works smoothly on iOS 9 and above, which makes your experience with Apple smartphones natural, convenient, and intuitive. It specifically works on the home screen of your phone, so it is easy to execute all kinds of tasks easily. It is interesting and innovative.
Its sheer brilliance is making it possible for multiple mobile app development companies to work on apps to cater to the needs of this innovation. Thus, the future of touch technology seems to be bright and vibrant. This may be why Apple has seen a rise in the number of its iPad and iPhone users. The productivity it has brought to our lives is the prime reason why it is here to stay!
The most loved app, Instagram, has about 300 million active users on a monthly basis. Instagram was one of the first apps to adapt to 3D touch technology. Instagram enhanced the Peek and Pop options, through which you can look at pictures fully without jumping into a person’s Instagram profile. You can also jump to a new post, activity section, search section, and even the DM section with the peek and pop options.
The 3D technology-based Skype app has also refined communication for many of us. You can easily bring up the search and call option by touching the Skype icon and leveraging the „Quick Actions“ to initiate calls and other options. You could also peek into old and recent conversations or pop into other video chats simultaneously.
Some mobile apps that have changed over the time, especially after the introduction of Touch Technology, are Google maps, OpenTable, and Pinterest. Thus, mobile apps infused with 3D touch technology are giving people elaborative opportunities to be more and more expressive. Technology is giving people a chance to be interactive with both smartphones and their surroundings, at the same time. With time, it surely is going to be better.
Mobile app developers have realized that this technology is going to help accentuate user experience in a multifold way and have been investing their time, money and energy into building the future of mobile apps, all to cater to the needs of the modern users.
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James Grills
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