Among several features rumored for the upcoming iPhone 6s, Force Touch could change the way users interact with the device. Force Touch first debuted earlier this year on Apple Watch. Leaked parts suggest this same technology will most likely be featured on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.
Last week, Apple announced an event on September 9 and over the past few weeks, component part leaks for the upcoming iPhone models are increasingly available on Apple rumor websites. Of course, take the leaks with some skepticism because nothing is true until the Apple team declares it so on stage.
The part in question is the actual display panel and the protruding flex cable which can be seen in all three of the above images. The video below gives a more interactive view of the part, as it compares to existing iPhone 6 hardware.
The video shows the iPhone 6s panel has one horizontal and one vertical flex cable while the 6 has two horizontal flex connectors. Additionally, the 6s panel has a connection piece in the top left corner, which can be see in the video and the still shot above. This connection point is not on the 6 panel at all.
Aside from part leaks showing the differing equipment, increasingly credible pundit and KGI Securities analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, stated earlier this year, the Force Touch sensor will be under the backlight, where it is laminated with metal shielding. This description, to an untrained eye, does appear to somewhat match the location of the connection sensor highlighted in the video and images above. He continues to argue the technology will be different than that of the Apple Watch, but a similar concept applies.
It’s important to take notice that Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal added to the pile of existing Force Touch rumors, which only furthers the possibility that these rumors are true. Over the past several years, larger news sources, like Bloomberg and The Journal, have weighed-in on rumor mill quandaries once they have credible sources. Subsequently, it has been extremely rare, if at all, that these more reputable news sources are incorrect.
With a large number of part leaks and credible sources in the news and supply chain claiming Force Touch is possible, it would be surprising if the new devices lacked the feature. If Force Touch comes to the next generation devices, it could make the iPhone 6s lineup more tempting for would-be purchasers.
The off-year ‘s’ series phones are typically the same form factor and only interior changes are made. Most consider ‘s’ line iPhones an evolutionary change, instead of revolutionary. However, Force Touch could bring a completely new dynamic to iOS for iPhone and iPads. Force Touch could allow for contextually based options on different parts of iOS.
Currently, all submenus and options on iOS are found using specific UI buttons and boxes. Force Touch would provide users the ability to call a secondary menu or option screen as an overlay to the current view. The Force Touch interaction could activate specific gesture based controls, provide a quick look at system stats, bring up options while playing a video, etc. Much like Apple Watch, Force Touch could completely change the way navigation and menu items are treated on iOS devices for the foreseeable future.
Apple is set to provide a live stream of the event on September 9 at 10:00AM PST. Tune in to see everything announced as it happens. iPhones and iPads are rumored to go on sale approximately 1.5 weeks after the event date.
[source: macrumors]
