The US Patent & Trademark Office has published some new patents from Apple that hint at a return of the company’s 3D Touch technology.
For those unaware, Force Touch, also called 3D Touch, was a technology that Apple used for some years before replacing it with Haptic Touch. The 3D touch allowed iPhone users to access different menus by simply applying different amounts of pressure to the phone’s display.
The patents (via Patently Apple) show the force-pressure sensors built into an Apple Watch and the trackpad of a MacBook. According to the patent, Apple’s new pressure-sensitive surface would utilize microelectromechanical fluid pressure sensors. These sensors would be smaller, have better force sensitivity, and be more durable than conventional pressure sensors.
The new pressure sensors will likely operate as the click buttons on the trackpad on a MacBook. On the other hand, the Apple Watch patent figure shows the new sensors embedded into the watch’s physical button as well as in its strap. The new technology will enable the smartwatch to detect blood pressure, heart rate, and pulse wave velocity, all through the pressure sensors in its strap.
The pressure sensor is also shown to be featured in AirPods. The AirPods could feature these new sensors in its stem to make switching tracks, playing and pausing, answering calls, and adjusting volume levels much easier by applying different amounts of pressure for each input.
As exciting as this upcoming technology may be, it is worth noting that it is still in the patent stage and therefore will take a while to actually be featured in gadgets from the Cupertino giant. It is also likely that Apple never implements the technology into real consumer products. So stay tuned for more updates on the matter.
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