The Apple Watch has arrived, bringing the latest in wearable
technology to wrists everywhere. But what does this device,
which some call "revolutionary," do that we haven't already
seen before?
Some critics say the smartwatch doesn't bring anything
new to the Apple ecosystem, costing consumers hundreds
(or even thousands) of dollars for nothing more than the
convenience of displaying push notifications without having
to pull out their iPhones.
TechRadar has dived into the utility of the Apple Watch at
some length, but there's a bigger question for tech geeks to
consider: what does this wearable mean for the future of iOS
devices?
There's one Apple Watch feature that's already rumored to
be making its way to the iPhone 6S . It's called Force Touch,
and it just might be the Apple Watch's most underrated
feature.
What is Force Touch?
While the Apple Watch has plenty of features to distinguish
it from smartphones and tablets, the biggest difference
(aside from its form factor) is found in the controls. While
iPhones have been getting bigger, the Apple Watch can
come in a frame as small as 38mm. That's forced Apple to
rethink how users interact with the device, beyond just
swiping and tapping.
Part of the solution to the screen size constraints appears in
the form of the "Digital Crown" - a home button and dial
combo that handles scrolling and zooming as well as fine
adjustments. But there's an even more innovative control
mechanism at play on the Apple Watch, one that could
make the cut on future iPhones, like the iPhone 6S and 7.
Since the display is so small, Apple made its watch capable
of sensing whether a user is tapping the screen or pressing
down. This technology is called Force Touch, and it's what
makes it possible for app developers to offer a lot of content
without cluttering the screen with buttons. Force Touch can
be used to customize the watch face, create a new
message, or bring up contextual menus in a variety of apps.
It's a simple but effective feature that Apple has already put
on its 12-inch MacBook and 13-inch Macbook Pro .
How Force Touch works with Apple Watch
apps
Force Touch may be an innovative way to control a device
without adding more buttons, but it also creates an
interesting opportunity for developers in designing apps that
work with the new control mechanism.
Booking.com's Booking Now app, for example, lets users
select the best hotel from a list of nearby results and book
using their Apple Watch with a firm press of their finger.
"Force Touch is a really interesting extension to the
language of gestures which the iPhone has helped define in
recent years," said Stuart Frisby, Booking.com's principle
designer in charge of the user experience for the Booking
Now app for iPhone and Apple Watch.
"What is most interesting about it is how natural a gesture it
is, and how intuitive it feels in usage. We've long had
machines which respond differently to different levels of
pressure, and so unlike some other parts of the gesture
language where users are performing these gestures for the
first time, Force Touch feels right on the Apple Watch.
"Having this technology extend to laptops will further
cement this as an established interaction pattern, and as
designers and developers we always welcome new ways for
people to interact with our apps."
Evernote's VP of Mobile Products, Jamie Hull, says the
Evernote Watch app uses Force Touch to deliver the core
features of the company's popular iPhone app in a new
way/in a way that works for the wearable.
"Force Touch allows the two core functions of Evernote for
Apple Watch - new note creation and search - to be
accessible from anywhere within the app," she explained.
"Users can easily capture a quick thought or find a different
note without having to navigate back up to the home
screen."
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