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iPhone's Force Touch Tech May Track Contact Area Instead of Pressure, New 4" Model Unlikely in 2015
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So based on this i wonder if it's worth getting the 6S+ with this iteration of Force Touch or the 2016 model with the new FT tech?
Will I know the difference? my contract expires around the October time frame and would like to upgrade to a larger phone ASAP! I currently have an IP5
Hmmm...
Will I know the difference? my contract expires around the October time frame and would like to upgrade to a larger phone ASAP! I currently have an IP5
Hmmm...
I'd like a brand new phone at the end of next year tbh - My 5 is fine for the moment but will be getting on by the end of 2016...
It is my understanding that the thing he's talking about—detecting the size of your touch area—is something that capacitive touch screens can already do. It's just a matter of upgrading the SDK to officially provide that data to developers. Don't some drawing apps fake pressure sensitivity using their own algorithms to detect the touch size? I think the way that iOS has always worked is that it detects the entire touch area size, and then averages it to find the center point for the actual "tap" event. That's why it was so accurate out of the gate in 2007.
If they do something like that then why would that necessitate an iPhone 7 name? The only way I can see them going to the iPhone 7 name is one of the following:
But yeah, if it looks the same then it will be called the 6S. Although Apple has been kinda weird with their naming lately. Want a retina display Mac? Get a MacBook, or the MacBook Pro with Retina Display. Want a really thin and light Mac? Don't get the MacBook Air, get the MacBook. Want a computer that looks outdated but is actually faster but not actually quite fast enough to do some professional tasks? Get a MacBook Air. Want an iPad? We have iPad Mini, Mini with Retina Display, Mini 3, iPad Air and iPad Air 2. At least they finally got rid of the "New iPad with Retina Display" or whatever it was called in the 4th gen model. They really need to focus their product lines.
Also I think it's a mistake to omit a 4" model. I know many people who are still holding out hope for a new 4" model—especially among the women I know. Perhaps, as I said above, they're just waiting it out until they can slim down the bezel and make it nearly the same size.
If they do something like that then why would that necessitate an iPhone 7 name? The only way I can see them going to the iPhone 7 name is one of the following:
- They need to redesign the external casing—for Force Touch or otherwise
- They decided to switch screen sizes again, which wouldn't seem likely
- They've decided to significantly reduce the bezel, perhaps moving Touch ID and the home button with force touch into the display itself (although I don't see that happening until autumn 2016 at the earliest)
But yeah, if it looks the same then it will be called the 6S. Although Apple has been kinda weird with their naming lately. Want a retina display Mac? Get a MacBook, or the MacBook Pro with Retina Display. Want a really thin and light Mac? Don't get the MacBook Air, get the MacBook. Want a computer that looks outdated but is actually faster but not actually quite fast enough to do some professional tasks? Get a MacBook Air. Want an iPad? We have iPad Mini, Mini with Retina Display, Mini 3, iPad Air and iPad Air 2. At least they finally got rid of the "New iPad with Retina Display" or whatever it was called in the 4th gen model. They really need to focus their product lines.
Also I think it's a mistake to omit a 4" model. I know many people who are still holding out hope for a new 4" model—especially among the women I know. Perhaps, as I said above, they're just waiting it out until they can slim down the bezel and make it nearly the same size.
A 4" smartphone is the ideal size for me.
The 6 and 6+ are way too big for my needs.
If there is no 4" option somewhere in the lineup I'll just keep my 5S until the wheels fall off, then replace it with another 5S.
I think there's two ways it could work.
First method could be without the user noticing, during the setup wizard. Every new phone has to go through that welcome setup, to connect to wifi, restore, set up iCloud, etc.. Apple could easily use that to monitor how a user taps during "normal" interaction - they could use those to calibrate the standard touch/tap, and anything that covers a wider area could be classed as a force touch to some degree.
The second method would be an actual "stop and calibrate" step like with Touch ID. Those devices that have it, are asked if they want to enable it and then taken through enrolment. Force touch could be similar, asking if the user wants to enable it, then going through a set-up process for it.
This is news? It was my assumption all long that it didn't actually detect the glass flexing but the size of the touch area and duration to decide whether or not it was a press or a touch. Does anybody really think the crystal on the watch is flexing when you press on it?
I'm pretty sure the Apple Watch's display is a flexible display for this very purpose.
No it's not. It depends on what you need your smart device for.
Personally, I find 4.7 too large and impractical. I can't use it with one hand, and can't fit it in my pocket.
Also, the fact that Apple had to add a "move-the-entire-screen-50%-down-so-people-can-reach-the-top" feature hints as how it's too large for a large part of the target group.
Right. The angle of your finger comes into play as well… whether you press with the very tip (a small area), or with your finger laid flatter (larger area). This would vary the size far more than pressure alone.
Imagination and education
It is child's play to measure the initial size of contact and then shortly after measure THE CHANGE IN SIZE to determine the intent of the user. Whether it is a small finger or a large finger, it is the CHANGE IN SIZE that is important.
Imagination and education can be wonderful things.
It is child's play to measure the initial size of contact and then shortly after measure THE CHANGE IN SIZE to determine the intent of the user. Whether it is a small finger or a large finger, it is the CHANGE IN SIZE that is important.
Imagination and education can be wonderful things.
This is the same argument that happened with the iPhone 4 is the perfect size crowd when the iPhone 5 first came out.
Wait a couple years until latest i0S updates aren't working as well and iPhone 5/5s start to slow down.
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That would be a first, but I don't think there will be alot of people that set out to get an iPhone 6s and come home with at Galaxy S6.
Well 6S and S6 could be confusing. Anyway I think Apple needs to drop the numbering convention. Just have iPhone and iPhone Plus.
contact area vs pressure would be a cheep way and less accurate more limiting way. unless the only reason for dong it is to enable a single feature like a right click etc it would not be good for use of a stylus etc unless that stylus has a big mushy tip that no one wants to use
Force touch on a phone could make selecting text much easier. Light touch to position a cursor, and force touch to enter a text selection mode. Sliding the finger after force touch could select text. Lift the finger after selecting text could end text selection, then tapping on the selected area could bring up a menu for copy/paste etc.
Whoa there Mr.Snarky.
I run a game studio, I'm pretty familiar with technology both released and in prototype, including working with a couple of huge companies on their VR efforts. No part of your finger is flat, so at which point do you start recording the initial size? Your Snarky-Method (as I'm dubbing it) would introduce some heavy lag as it must wait until it's recorded a stable pressure and then detect any change in that. Doesn't seem very Apple-like, don't you think? I'll be interested to see you expand your method, and how you're going to get around different sized digits from the same users (using an index finger over a thumb, for example).
Though this method would work with a soft-tipped stylus, since those can be a universal size. Is that what you mean?
Pure hogwash. How is a giant phone that's difficult to get a good grip on at all practical? A phone's primary purpose is to be a mobile device for on-the-go use. Use the right tool for the right job.
If all you care about is screen size, you might as well just carry around an iPad. Or maybe a Cinema Display? More practical, right? After all, everyone drives around tractor-trailers because they're more practical.
It's hard seeing them not doing a 4" 6C phone with 5S chips inside along with Apple Pay for the low tier model. That would still draw in people who want a smaller phone at a good price
Not really complete 'hogwash' since sales of the 6/6plus are so high and would suggest that the 4" might not be as popular.
"We believe that iPhone's Force Touch sensor doesn't directly detect the pressure applied by fingers. Instead, it monitors the contact area on which the finger touches the screen to decide how big the pressure is."
How could this work? It would imply that the phone knew the size of the finger, as a whole, that's applying the pressure. For example, how would it know the difference between my son's finger versus mine, where his smaller finger applying pressure would equal the surface area of my larger finger applying very little pressure?
How could this work? It would imply that the phone knew the size of the finger, as a whole, that's applying the pressure. For example, how would it know the difference between my son's finger versus mine, where his smaller finger applying pressure would equal the surface area of my larger finger applying very little pressure?