Hidden 3D Touch Feature: Usage with Gloves

[Bryan Bowler]

While photographing the New England Fall Colors last week, I discovered an unknown feature on the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. You can now open apps, emails, push buttons, etc by performing a slightly harder press than a normal tap while wearing non-capacitive gloves. I confirmed this by barely touching the screen with non-capacitive gloves and as expected, nothing happened, but when I tapped slightly harder, for most things, the iPhone responded as if I performed a normal tap.

This is yet another feature of 3D Touch. Pretty cool!

Edit: Read my update in Post 7. Looks like I may have been experiencing capacitive-like features in my regular gloves due to the environmental conditions I was in!

 

[andyw715]

Are you sure? Cause when I try to use then end of a pen or similar, nothing happens.

Or if I use my fingernail, it doesn't work until my finger (skin) gets close enough to it. Maybe the glove (since its not air) has some capacitive features?

 

[Bryan Bowler]

Are you sure? Cause when I try to use then end of a pen or similar, nothing happens.

Or if I use my fingernail, it doesn't work until my finger (skin) gets close enough to it. Maybe the glove (since its not air) has some capacitive features?

Positive. I tried it with two different pair of gloves, and also compared those gloves side-by-side with an iPhone 5s.

 

[Guitarpik]

And yet another feature that Nokia phones have had for years.

Sorry I couldn't resist.

 

[Cergman]

I don't think the pressure sensors can actually tell where you're pressing. I believe the phone uses the digitizer for the tap location, and gets the pressure from the 3d touch sensors to calculate what you're trying to 3d touch. For example, tap and hold an icon on the home screen and push another object (corner of a box in my case) on the screen and the menu comes out of the icon you tapped on. Now press with only the box and nothing happens.

 

[WilliamG]

Positive. I tried it with two different pair of gloves, and also compared those gloves side-by-side with an iPhone 5s.

Doesn't work for me.

 

[Bryan Bowler]

Ok, this is strange. I just pulled out both sets of gloves and it's not working in the climate-controlled comfort of my home. When it was working, I was outside all day (and night) in 36-38 degree temperatures and consistent 90%+ humidity levels. I wonder if these environmental conditions were creating capacitive-like conditions for my gloves? Even then, that doesn't explain why it was working on my 6s Plus and not my 5s.

In a couple of days, I'll be back out in the field and I'll see if I can get it to work again. I'm now assuming it must be the gloves...

 

[nickchallis92]

Meh. Samsung phones have worked with gloves since the Galaxy S4

 

[bpeeps]

Meh. Samsung phones have worked with gloves since the Galaxy S4

Go grab yourself an S6 then.

 

[nickchallis92]

Go grab yourself an S6 then.

or an S4, Note 3, S5, S6, Note 5

...I have a S6 Edge+

 

[bpeeps]

or an S4, Note 3, S5, S6, Note 5

...I have a S6 Edge+

Yes... the previous models are all implied given you already stated that.

The S6 Edge plus is probably the only phone I'd switch to currently. Samsung nailed the design.