3D Touch Technology: How it is implemented in smartphones Apple

With the advent of technology evolution of 3D Touch Technology to control the touch screen has reached unprecedented heights. Displays with the recognition of the forces pressing allow improved understanding of all communication with the smartphone and to operate all its functions without unnecessary movements. The article talked about the key operating principles of advanced technology from Apple, as well as shows the basic scenario of its application in practice.

Prerequisites for the introduction of pressing force detection technology to screen smartphones have their roots in 2014 when the first public version of the Apple smart watch has been demonstrated. Flexible screen “smart” gadget was able to determine through a stronger touch sensor system and the mechanism of tactile response Taptic Engine. Some time later, Force Touch has been implemented in the latest generation of trackpad MacBook’ov. Technology has learned to work with a solid glass and recognize already two forces pressed. The emergence of the new features in the Apple phone was only a matter of time and it came at the beginning of autumn 2015.

3D Touch has become a kind of “chip” a pair of top phones, which allows a more flexible and quick to implement user interaction with your smartphone. Ease of use most of the features instantly soared to a new level. You only have time to feel it on your skin, make sure to say once and for all.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The screen design with support for Velocity recognition technology includes a family of 96 capacitive touch sensors located on a special lattice between the protective glass and Corning Glass backlit panel. The sensors collect information on a change of the distance between the glass and the deflection point of a finger pressure. The strength of the tap on the screen is determined based on the difference in the height of the deflection, which is clearly demonstrated by the animated image below:

The technology recognizes two different degrees of pressing the screen – less strong Peek and deeper Pop.

3D Touch Technology recognizes two different degrees of pressing the screen – less strong Peek and deeper Pop. Such names Apple has come up with his own. Their main purpose lies in the ability to quickly take advantage of this or that function without having to go directly to the application (for example, to view the content or pictures in preview mode). The most common and popular scripts 3D Touch use are given further in the text.

In order to understand what the user is pressing the force, it applies, under a layer of capacitive sensors located backward Response System Taptic Engine. She accompanies each touch tactile vibration feedback a certain intensity and duration (10 ms for a less strong click Peek and 15 ms for deeper pressing Pop).

Adjust parameters Velocity or disable this feature, you can in the menu item “Settings> General> Accessibility> 3D Touch». You can choose from three options: weak, medium (default), and severe depression.

An important nuance! Often when you install a weak pressing force smartphone can confuse a deeper touch with the less powerful Pop Peek.

It should be understood that the 3D Touch technology implementation was preceded by a serious development and the prerogative of the release of such display modules given not every manufacturer. Therefore, in the event of glass breakage, favorite iPhone rely on the ultra-fast replacement of the screen should not be. And especially do not need to hope for a democratic price – high technology, as we know, there are a lot of money.

TOP-7 SCENARIOS

Press lightly on the application icon context menu.

1. Quick action – less strong pressing the application icon is a drop-down list of actions (context menu), which allows access directly from the main screen. This allows you to get rid of extra clicks and save time for the most common operations.
2. Working with text and graphics – with strong pressure on the keyboard turns into a trackpad last, by which greatly simplifies the movement of the cursor in the text. 3D Touch also makes it easier to select and copy text. But when working in the graphic editor press force to the screen determines the thickness of the lines. Pressing opens Peek preview content when clicking on the link in your browser.
3. Preview – less severe depression Peek opens preliminary content preview window when you click on a link in a browser, e-mail, click on the map or even user profile Instagram. If the content is interesting for a deeper touch of Pop, it will open in full screen, if not – enough to remove your finger from the screen.
4. Calls and contacts – at least a strong push on the phone icon allows access to the three most frequently used contacts, and create a new field. Just click on the contacts themselves Peek is a drop-down list with the proposal to quickly send an SMS-message, write an email or make an audio / video call FaceTime.
5. Camera – Action drop-down box under strong pressure with your finger on the icon with the camera offers the user remove Self, run a normal or slow-motion filming and quickly make an ordinary photograph. Installed on the wallpaper image comes to life with a strong touch.
6. Wallpapers and “live” pictures – set on wallpaper picture comes to life with a strong touch of the screen. As an image, you can use “live” photos or preset dynamic wallpaper.
7. Games – that’s really where exactly can be widely deployed in the use of 3D Touch technology, so it is in the games. The most frequently used detection Velocity races (Asphalt 8, AG Drive, etc.). But he is also no stranger to other genres – for example, in action, Warhammer 40,000: Freud blade ordinary tap on the screen to shower the enemy makes a stone rain, harder pressed to activate the zoom function and a deep touch starts in the course of heavy artillery.

ALTERNATIVES

Among Android-smartphone analog 3D Touch Technology has Meizu Pro 6.

Among Android-smartphone only has a top like an analog phone Meizu the Pro 32GB has 3D Touch Technology (as of mid-2016). Chinese brand Meizu technology called 3D Press, and it performs a similar function with the technique of Apple. Here are just a third-party application developers do not hurry up massively used a new “chip” in their programs because of the general lack of development of the system and a small market coverage (unlike Apple smartphones).

This function is declared in the smartphone Huawei Mate S Dual Sim, But in practice, modification of supporting recognition of force pressing on the screen is not commercially available, and, according to the manufacturer, it will be available only in some regions, that is not called.

In the role of an alternative also supports Apple’s own pressing force detection system) – Force Touch. As mentioned above, it is used in “smart” watches and as the trackpad on the latest generation MacBook’s.

http://nsmartphone.com/3d-touch-technology/