Basically, not much has changed on the outside of the iPhone 6s, and in Apple's logic, the product designation -s also stands for the smaller iPhone. Updates. Besides a new chipset and a model in Rose Gold, there is one very important change and it is hidden under the display. Apple calls the technology 3D Touch, which is now gradually integrated into all devices of the computer giant from Cupertino. Specifically, the technology describes a new era of touch operation, because Apple's iPhones now interpret touches pressure-sensitively.
Get through iPhone 6s faster with Peek, Pop and Quick Actions
3D Touch is not completely new in the new iPhone 6s, the Apple Watch introduced the technology earlier this year, and MacBooks (and more recently Magic Mouse and the external trackpad) also feature pressure-sensitive sensors that can distinguish between a light touch and a firmer pressure - which Apple calls Force Touch on the Mac line.
3D Touch therefore primarily interprets the new pressure direction of depth, because after all, other multi-touch gestures will continue to be standard on iPhones and iPads. Apple itself has of course already integrated the distinction between peek and pop into some apps.
In Mail, for example, mails can be previewed with a gentle peek, i.e. by placing or briefly tapping the finger, whereas a firmer pressure - the pop - opens the mail. This preview function also works when surfing in Safari or when links are sent by mail. This makes it possible to work more intuitively within applications and you don't have to leave the app or message for a short preview.
On the home screen Apple has implemented the 3D Touch technology a little differently, here Quick Actions are placed on the fixed pressure, which differ from app to app. A pop on Instagram, for example, and you can create a new post or access the activity feed from a pop-up menu, iTunes contains shortcuts to your favorite music, the camera can be used to immediately create a selfie, photo, video or slow-motion video and the list goes on and on. Frequently used options or messages to your favourite contacts are just a click away. It's handy and takes just a little getting used to, but it's easy to do afterwards.
While Apple has of course already been able to convert its apps to 3D Touch, third-party app vendors are currently slowly upgrading. For many large apps like Instagram or Twitter it's already working, smaller developers will probably move up slowly. And of course, pressure-sensitive input only works under iOS 9, which is installed by default on the iPhone 6s (Plus) anyway.
This is what is behind Apple's new 3D Touch technology
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The touchscreen of iPhone 6s differs from its predecessor in a number of important ways to enable 3D Touch technology. As before, the touch-sensitive retina display is located under the glass cover, but underneath it there are now capacitive pressure sensors. These enable the differentiation between light and stronger pressure. Under this layer is the Taptic Engine, which is also known from the Apple Watch. This provides a light haptic feedback, so the firmer pressure actually feels like a firmer pressure. This feedback works very quickly and is ideal for getting used to the new 3D touch technology, so you always have the feeling of actually interacting with the touch screen.
In addition to Apple's well-known menu functions, a number of other new features have been added, such as making it easier to select text. For example, the keyboard turns into a trackpad when pressed a little harder, which makes it a lot easier to mark text accurately. Switching to the multitasking view, in which every open app occupies a window, is now also done by pressing the left side of the screen more firmly - instead of pressing the Home button twice as before.
Also new is the Live Photos function, which are actually short videos. Thanks to the new camera in the iPhone 6s, it is now possible to capture a short video before and after the recording in addition to the 12 megapixel image. A short press on the image brings it to life and the Live Photos can also be viewed on devices without 3D touch. The same technology is also behind the dynamic background images, which start their animation phase when pressed. You can use your own Live Photos for this purpose, but there is also a selection of dynamic background images available.
Other possibilities and popular examples of how the new technology can be used include pressure-sensitive drawing or applying brushes during image processing or the possibility of having an analog accelerator pedal under the finger in racing games.
How sensitive the pressure sensitivity of the new iPhone 6s actually is can be determined with the App Plum-O-Meter. This little gadget weighs two plums (or fruit of a similar size that fits completely on the iPhone display) and can determine the heavier fruit based on the pressure. The pressure is not given in grams, but as a percentage based on the load on the pressure sensor - the Plum-O-Meter is not suitable as a scale, but it does give a glimpse of the gadgets for which Apple's new sensors can be used in the future. Currently, the Plum-O-Meter only works on iPhones with Jailbreak.
Better interaction thanks to pressure sensors - small but important change
The iPhone 6s doesn't seem like a big revolution and so Apple hasn't marketed the new 3D Touch technology. What seemed like a need to interact with a clock-sized display in the Apple Watch, and still seems more like a gimmick in the MacBook, is now taking full effect on the iPhone screen. The new gestures into the depths quickly become very intuitive, which works well with the Quick Actions as well as with the preview functions. It just remains to be seen how quickly (and how useful) third-party developers manage to implement Peek, Pop and Quick Actions in their apps.
But what Apple has delivered here with this new dimension of touch gesture control once again seems to point the way ahead and makes the border between hardware and software disappear a little bit more. Android devices with pressure-sensitive screens have already been announced, which in return naturally motivates independent developers to implement the technology in their apps.
