Apple has been equipped with since “iPhone 6s” “3D Touch”. This feature, which was highly rated by users, was abolished in the “iPhone 11” series. The reason for this is explained by Apple Explained, a YouTube channel that is familiar with Apple.
*Category：technology Technology｜*Source：Apple Explained,wikipedia
Why Apple ditched the iPhone’s 3D Touch feature
3D Touch debuted on the iPhone 6s in 2015, and Apple touted it as revolutionary as multi-touch. The feature of 3D Touch is that it can greatly increase the range of operations on the iPhone.
Considering how influential multi-touch has become after the first iPhone came out, you can understand how important Apple’s claim was. However, despite being such an innovative feature, 3D Touch has been abolished with iPhone 11.
But 3D Touch wasn’t flawed. The feature itself was very well received, and many users wanted it back even after it was discontinued. “3D Touch was the best,” said tech tycoon YouTuber Marcus Brownlee, who has over 15.9 million subscribers.
It took a little bit of space away from the battery and it was never really embraced by every developer in every app, but still… Hard same. 3D touch was awesome. https://t.co/Rr4R1qpsVc
— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) December 30, 2021
3D Touch is made possible by incorporating a capacitive sensor into the iPhone’s backlight. By measuring the slight distance between the cover glass and the backlight by the display, we provided the user with a new operation of “push”.
For 3D Touch, there’s also a component called the “Taptic Engine” that enables shorter, more precise tactile vibrations and taps than standard cell phone vibration motors.
When it first debuted on the iPhone 6s, Apple said 3D Touch could be used to quickly view emails, preview calendar events, check flight details, drag into other applications, and more. , I was appealing that I could move to another window.
This feature makes iOS navigation faster and easier. To get the most out of these new features, each app needs to be optimized.
But this was the first pitfall. Apple could only control their own apps. As a result, not many third-party apps support 3D Touch.
It was also a problem that there was no change in the appearance of the iPhone. 3D Touch is not a feature that can be confirmed from the outside, so it did not stand out from the consumer’s perspective.
And while 3D Touch is convenient, it’s not a “must-have feature to use your device.” iPhone users could ignore this feature and continue to use their iPhones as before.
Apple understood this problem, so when it released the iPhone 6s, it advertised 3D Touch to users in a big way.
Not only did Apple hit a TV ad showcasing 3D Touch, but it also installed giant tables with built-in screens in some Apple stores. Each table displays two rows of iPhones that users can touch.
And with 3D Touch, ripples radiate from your iPhone’s display to the big screen under the table. The size of the ripples is determined by how hard you press the iPhone’s display. The strength of the force was measured by 3D touch.
But while Apple’s effort may have sparked interest in 3D Touch on the iPhone 6s, it wasn’t enough.
Since Apple only touted the feature heavily with the iPhone 6s, 3D Touch has been overshadowed with each new feature introduced by the iPhone 7, 8, X, and XS. I said.
Furthermore, many of the users who knew the existence of 3D Touch have had fewer opportunities to use it. This is because some apps can use 3D Touch and some cannot.
And even if there was a compatible app, users had to decide what shortcuts the app offered and whether it was worth using.
And the final issue is cost. Former Apple senior vice president Phil Schiller said when the iPhone 6s was announced, “It’s incredibly difficult to make a display that supports 3D Touch.”
“If users don’t use 3D Touch, they’re wasting a year or two of engineering and huge cost and manufacturing investments,” he said.
But sadly, 3D Touch ended up just like that. Some users loved 3D Touch on a daily basis. However, many users were unaware of its existence or had forgotten about it.
Finally, Apple is ditching 3D Touch with the iPhone 11. Some users have voiced regret, but considering the cost and its penetration rate, it can be said that Apple’s decision to discontinue 3D Touch was correct.
Removing features from the iPhone that have long been popular with some users is not an easy decision to make. Apple’s attitude to complete the design philosophy of eliminating one gimmick and sticking to simplicity makes me feel terrible.