This year’s iPhones will not have hardware support for 3D Touch.

[ssbtech]

Apple may have a reputation for cutting edge technology, but the more we learn about the iPhone plans for 2019, the more it is clear that Apple is lagging behind Android. Not only that, but Tim Cook’s team is also cancelling a feature once regarded as revolutionary.

This year’s iPhones will not have hardware support for 3D Touch.

[...]

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ewansp...1-3d-touch-cancelled-leak-rumor/#67abfc3e7056

Having gotten sued to 3D Touch on my iPhone X, I was surprised to see it absent from the Xr.

On reading up on the Xr, apparently they couldn't get the LCD display to work with the 3D Touch hardware. I don't know why, they just can't.

IMO, they should have gone all-in with OLED. It's a bit more expensive, but iPhones are premium phones that always have commanded a premium price. Go with OLED across the board and make use of its benefits.

One such example would be better notifications - A Siri-like ball could bounce around on the screen for a few minutes after a message has been arrived, a form of simulated notification LED virtually every other phone has. Or persistent date/time display. The benefit of a consistent display type across the devices is a consistent, more engaging experience with the device.

Apple really has stopped innovating here.

 

[BreakingKayfabe]

You know, it's funny how useless 3D touch was for me when it was introduced in the 6S. By the time the iPhone 7 came out I couldn't stop using it. I would have bet my house that Apple would never get rid of it in future devices or replace it with something half-assed like haptic.

 

[Annie_M]

I will miss it! I don’t use it all the time, but when I do I really enjoy it and find it helpful.

 

[imwjl]

If that's true plus death of 12 inch MacBook you have a bummed out me.

 

[Spencerdl]

Wow, I didn't know this nor did I know the Xr didn't have 3D Touch. I'm like Annie (Ambassador), I don't use 3D Touch often, but I enjoy it when I do and it's nice to know I have it as an option on my premium Apple iPhone. I guess this just adds another reason for me keeping my Xs Max.

 

[dmoskaluk]

Thanks All - I feel better about my decision to go with 8Plus when I was faced with XR 64GB virtually same price as 8Plus 256.....
I just didn't wish to break into 'new territory technology' due possible shakey local after sales support but feel a bit vindicated when hearing this.

 

[Quis89]

You know, it's funny how useless 3D touch was for me when it was introduced in the 6S. By the time the iPhone 7 came out I couldn't stop using it. I would have bet my house that Apple would never get rid of it in future devices or replace it with something half-assed like haptic.

This.

I was a detractor initially because I just couldn't find value in it. But now? Now I love it and I find it useful in a variety of situations during my day to day. Specifically navigating the text cursor. I do that ALL THE TIME. Additional uses are quick text options from the Messaging icon. Quick calling from the Phone icon. I also use the 3D touch options within the music app often.

I would imagine we will still have these capabilities via another method. So as long as we don't lose these options completely, I'll be fine.

 

[BreakingKayfabe]

I would imagine we will still have these capabilities via another method. So as long as we don't lose these options completely, I'll be fine.

We at least still have the capabilities with haptic touch which is what the XR has. Apple has transitioned this into the iOS 13 betas for 3D Touch devices also. It requires more patience and isn’t as quick as 3D Touch is. It feels hacky in all honesty. But at least it’s there.

 

[Quis89]

We at least still have the capabilities with haptic touch which is what the XR has. Apple has transitioned this into the iOS 13 betas for 3D Touch devices also. It requires more patience and isn’t as quick as 3D Touch is. It feels hacky in all honesty. But at least it’s there.

It seems pretty un-Apple-like to remove a feature and offer an even worse iteration of what that feature provided. It's pretty unfortunate if the features work poorly as I used them quite a bit.

Fingers crossed that once the next wave of devices release and when iOS 13 is final things will operate better.

 

[anon(50597)]

Doesn’t bother me at all. Still enjoy my Xr.

 

[vimagreg]

Apple is explaining to me very clearly why it lagged behind Android in recent years. Death for Touch ID, for 3D Touch, a lot of problems with MacBook keyboards, now rumors for Face ID death as well and all we have is a company killing a lot of features once presented as "revolutionary", or facing grave problems with them. Seriously, I don't think that's the way Apple will recover leadership in tech innovation. The company looks like something lacking north, these days. Which is sad for us, customers.

 

[Annie_M]

I whined and complained loudly when Touch ID went away. That was then, and now, I realize it wasn’t that big of a deal. Im still using Touch ID on my 8+, but Im no longer leery of Face ID. Each smart device manufacturer has had issues, but I still trust Apple.

 

[Tartarus]

I’m not sure I’ll miss it. Time will tell.

 

[dmoskaluk]

I whined and complained loudly when Touch ID went away. That was then, and now, I realize it wasn’t that big of a deal. Im still using Touch ID on my 8+, but Im no longer leery of Face ID. Each smart device manufacturer has had issues, but I still trust Apple.

Sort of like the headphone jack......

But I do wonder at times about the logic behind killing a feature ( touch ID) which took at least 3 years to hone almost to perfection.
I set up 2 mid price-range Androids for friends last week and was amazed to see BOTH touch ID ( sensor at rear of case) AND Face ID available on the same unit. I thought that one would have the use of one, or the other but not so - if Face failed to register ( bright bright sunlight, or near total darkness) one only had to touch the fingerprint sensor to open the phone. Only if that didn't work (or after a software update) did you have to enter the number code you had assigned. And in round numbers, the price of those phones was less than a quarter of that for a new iPhone.

 

[spiff_p239]

I've used both an iPhone XR and iPhone 8 (currently have the 8 due to the smaller size) and much preferred 3D Touch to Haptic Touch because, as other people have mentioned, it was much quicker. I'm running the iOS 13 Beta and am disappointed that 3D Touch will now operate like Haptic Touch regardless of whether your phone supports 3D Touch.

 

[dmoskaluk]

So what you indicate is that on iOS 13 even the 'pre-X' phones ( like 6s, 7, 8) will lose the 3D touch in lieu of Haptic Touch??

 

[Annie_M]

I read earlier that there will be haptic touch.

Edited to add that I now realize my post is redundant

 

[Rob Phillips]

So what you indicate is that on iOS 13 even the 'pre-X' phones ( like 6s, 7, 8) will lose the 3D touch in lieu of Haptic Touch??

Any phone that has 3D Touch will still support it in some capacity BUT some of the behaviors have changed in iOS 13. For example, in iOS 12 a user could force press on a link in Safari to open a preview then press harder to open the link in a full window (referred to as “peak” and “pop”). In iOS 13 the preview pops up but pressing harder does nothing. Still, the user can press the center of the preview window to open the page in a full window. I’m assuming this is to provide a consistent experience between devices supporting 3D Touch and those not supporting it. The good news is that on a 3D Touch capable device you don’t get that slight delay after pressing until something happens like you get on other devices.
Not a huge fan of the new method and the (likely true) rumors that 3D Touch is being killed. I’m one of the few that used the feature frequently.

 

[Spencerdl]

I read earlier that there will be haptic touch.

Haptic feedback has been removed on my Xs Max running Dev Beta 13.1. NOT happy with that. The slight "click" is disappointing to say the least. I personally think if the device has the ability then it should be in the iOS. It's as though I paid premium money for the extra experience and now it has been taken away. Not worth paying for a premium device if I'm not getting premium options.

 

[Spencerdl]

Any phone that has 3D Touch will still support it in some capacity BUT some of the behaviors have changed in iOS 13. For example, in iOS 12 a user could force press on a link in Safari to open a preview then press harder to open the link in a full window (referred to as “peak” and “pop”).

I would consider this a premium option and what we paid good money for. I don't like the fact this has been removed. It's as though Apple is taking away, but yet charging the same or more for a premium device. NOT happy.