Force Touch on the ‘iPhone 6s’ Could Include These Actions [Report]

According to a report by Mark Gurman at 9to5Mac, sources have revealed what Force Touch will allegedly control on the next-gen ‘iPhone 6s’, expected to debut on September 9:

According to sources, the iOS version of Force Touch is known internally as “Orb.” Instead of opening up a large window of extra controls that did not fit on the screen, as is done on the Apple Watch, Force Touch on the iPhone is designed to skip existing lists of options or button presses. “There is consistent usage of Force Touch across the operating system to ‘shortcut’ actions,” rather than present new options like with the Apple Watch, according to a source.

Below are some examples of what Force Touch, codenamed “Orb” will allow users to do:

• Bring up turn-by-turn directions in Apple Maps
• Shortcuts to commonly-used actions in Music
• Shortcuts to app-specific actions when used on individual app icons on the Homescreen (i.e. Force Touch on the Phone icon, get a shortcut to Voicemail)
• Some borrowed Force Touch gestures from the latest MacBooks (i.e. Force Touch a URL or contact to see a preview, and for definitions)

The Force Touch physical feedback has been explained as “nice” and “consistent” by sources.

For those using Force Touch on a MacBook or Apple Watch, expect similar actions to make their way to the iPhone, if the feature does debut as expected. I’m more interested in how developers will be able to implement Force Touch into existing apps to make them even easier to use.

Apple is expected to announce its next-gen ‘iPhone 6s’, new iPads and the next Apple TV at a special event on September 9.