Why Apple Killed 3D Touch

Apple recently introduced its new line of iPhones, 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max. The models received some pretty major updates, such as longer battery life, a new camera system, and increased durability. But Apple removed a feature called 3D Touch, which debuted with the iPhone 6s in 2015. And this has caused quite a bit of outcry from users who used the feature for things like previewing links, accessing emails, and controlling the cursor. So why did Apple remove a feature that defined an entire generation of iPhones and provided so much functionality to users? Well, that's exactly what I'm going to explain in this video.

I'm Greg with Apple Explained and I want to thank Squarespace for sponsoring this video. If you want to help decide what topics I cover, make sure you're subscribed and these voting polls will appear in your mobile activity feed. So, let's start by covering the brief history of 3D Touch. The feature debuted in 2015 with the iPhone 6s and was considered by Apple to be as revolutionary as multi-

touch

technology. They said that 3D Touch would be a completely new way to interact with your iPhone. And if you know how influential multi-

touch

ended up being after the original iPhone was introduced, you'll understand how significant a statement Apple made.

Now the reception to 3D Touch was overwhelmingly positive. Since both customers and reviewers were looking forward to the advanced functionality enabled by the new technology. Now Apple showed off what 3D Touch could do during the unveiling of the iPhone 6s, demonstrating capabilities like quickly viewing emails, previewing calendar events, and even previewing flight details, all without being dragged. to another application or taken to a different window. Simply put, the purpose of 3D Touch was to quickly preview content instead of switching between apps or jumping in and out of emails and text conversations. This would effectively make browsing iOS faster and effortless.

Now, to make the 3D Touch experience possible, Apple had to make software and hardware changes to the new iPhone 6s. On the software side, iOS needed a new overlay window container where content could be previewed. Additionally, Apple had to decide what that content preview would look like. Require unique optimization for each application. But it's important to note that Apple only had control over its own native apps. It's up to developers to create their own 3D Touch shortcuts for third-party apps. And when it comes to hardware, Apple engineers had to integrate capacitive sensors into the iPhone's backlight.

In this way, the display could measure small changes in the distance between the cover glass and the backlight. 3D Touch also required something called the Taptic Engine, which could deliver shorter, more precise vibrations and haptic touches than a standard phone vibration motor. And all of these components took up extra space inside the phone, which is the main reason why the iPhone 6s was thicker than the 6. Now, when talking about the launch of 3D Touch with the 6S, it is crucial to understand a very important fact. simple. 3D Touch was a hidden and non-essential feature. Now what do I mean by that?

Well, the feature was hidden because it was not something that users could see. Compare this to a new camera system, Face ID, or the home button. Those features are visible through hardware cues like a lens, a notch on the screen, or a button. It is clear to users that those capabilities are available for use. But that's not the case with other features like multi-touch, swipe navigation, or 3D Touch. For example, when smartphones began transitioning to touch screens, many users had to be told or discover for themselves that they could actually touch the screen. Since it didn't look any different from the non-touch variants.

And when the new iPhone X was released, some users weren't sure how to return to the home screen or switch between apps. And that's because the device's sliding navigation went unnoticed. But 3D Touch had the only disadvantage that it was not necessary to learn to use the device. Users could continue using their iPhone 6s the same way they used any previous model. While iPhone X users were forced to learn how to navigate with their finger as it was necessary to use the device. And Apple understood this problem and that's why they made a huge investment in educating customers about 3D Touch when they launched the iPhone 6s.

Apple not only ran TV ads showcasing 3D touch, but also installed giant tables with built-in screens in select Apple stores. Each table featured two rows of iPhones on display that customers could press. This triggered a wave that moved from the iPhone screen to the large screen on the table below. The size of the wave was determined by the force with which the iPhone screen was pressed, measured by 3D touch. Now, these tables were only installed in select Apple stores so you may not remember seeing them in your city, but they attracted quite a bit of attention.

And while they may have helped draw attention to 3D touch on the iPhone 6s, it definitely wasn't enough. Because the number one problem that plagued 3D Touch year after year was the fact that most iPhone users didn't even know the feature existed. Especially considering that Apple only heavily promoted the feature with the iPhone 6s. The iPhone 7, 8, X, and XS debuted with newer features that took attention away from 3D touch. And that created a problem. Because most people don't buy a new iPhone every year, and if you happened to skip the 6s, it would be very easy to overlook its star feature, 3D Touch.

Phil Schiller spoke about this when the iPhone 6s was first introduced, saying: “From an engineering point of view, the hardware to build a display that does what 3D Touch does is incredibly difficult. And we're going to waste an entire year of engineering (actually two) with a huge amount of manufacturing costs and investments if we don't make something that people are going to use.” And unfortunately, that turned out to be the case with 3D Touch. Most customers not only didn't know of its existence, but even when they discovered the feature, they still didn't find it attractive enough to use it.

Now I know this isn't the case for everyone, as tech-inclined users are more likely to use 3D Touch, but even if you use the feature on a daily basis, it's important to recognize the reality that most casual iPhone users not you And that's exactly why Apple abandoned 3D Touch with the XR and the new iPhone 11 models. Its components took up valuable space inside the device that could be dedicated to something like a larger battery, which would practically benefit to all iPhone users. But Apple only removed 3D Touch hardware from its devices; most of the software's features still exist under a new name, haptic touch.

Where users simply touch and hold an app or link to activate the same shortcuts and previews introduced by 3D touch. But many people feel that this new haptic approach is inferior to 3D touch, full of compromises that make the feature less useful. So let's go over some of the changes Apple made with the transition to haptic touch. One of the most obvious differences is that shortcuts and previews are no longer activated by touch pressure, but by duration. And this could make the action take a little longer. Furthermore, there is no longer a distinction between what was called peak and pop, since those actions were determined by changes in pressure.

And that means you'll have to take an extra tap to follow a link or open an email. But the feature I miss the most is the trackpad mode. Where pressing the iPhone keyboard would turn it into a trackpad, giving you precise control over the cursor. And while that's still possible with haptic touch by holding down the space bar, it's missing the best part of the feature. Where you could press the trackpad and highlight words or sentences effortlessly. And that's the feature that haptic touch couldn't replicate. But it's also worth noting that the 3D touch wasn't perfect.

In my experience, the feature was not as reliable as it should have been. Sometimes it wouldn't even register my hard presses and I would have to lift my thumb and try to activate it again. This can be frustrating, especially if I'm highlighting a phrase and the feature stops responding completely. Forcing me to cancel my selection and start the process again. I found haptic touch to be much more reliable and the improvement alone justifies the small trade-offs. So while I understand why some users are upset about the removal of 3D Touch, they need to understand the reality of Apple's situation.

Most iPhone users didn't even know 3D Touch existed, a feature whose hardware took up valuable space inside the device. And many of those who did know about 3D Touch still didn't bother to use it, and it's not hard to understand why. 3D Touch was implemented unevenly, with some developers using 3D Touch in their applications, while others did not support it at all. And this became a guessing game for users. Additionally, if an app supported the feature, users had to figure out what kind of shortcuts it offered and decide whether they were worth using or not. So you can see that it was much easier to just ignore the feature completely and continue using the iPhone as you always had.

To be honest, I only used 3D Touch to activate the keyboard trackpad. I didn't find any of its other features particularly useful. And that's why, as Apple transitions to haptic touch on the new iPhone 11 models, most customers won't even notice anything has been removed. But one thing customers will notice is how good your website looks and how easy it is to navigate. That's why I recommend using Squarespace, which allows you to create the best and most beautiful website you can. All without spending tons of money on development, design, and hosting, and without worrying about patches or installations or any of that complicated stuff.

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