Apple could reintroduce on iPhone, Apple Watch but also on other devices, a technology capable of determining the force and pressure that is exerted by the user, thus regulating the behavior of the software
Apple was the first company to use force sensors on their devices but then, with the passage of time and with the exception of the trackpad on MacBooks, the Force Touch (or 3D Touch ) has completely disappeared.
That may change again in the future as the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued some patents that the company still appears to be interested in force / pressure sensors . In particular, Apple is studying something for the Apple Watch, for the AirPods and for the iPhones.
The pressure and force sensor previously used on the iPhone and Apple Watch required a lot of space and increased the thickness of the devices, also making them extremely difficult to assemble and repair. The patents, on the other hand, describe a new technology for determining pressure through microelectromechanical pressure sensors
From the images attached in the patent documentation, we can see an Apple Watch with a pressure-sensitive side button. This means that the company could replace the mechanical button present on current models with a virtual button, a bit as happened in the past with the mechanical Home button then replaced by the virtual pressure-sensitive button. Even the digital crown could be replaced with optical sensors , making the Apple Watch more robust, with fewer moving parts and also more waterproof.
In a second patent, pressure sensors are also used inside the straps to detect blood pressure and pulse wave speed. If they were introduced on the market, another chapter would open in the history of wearables capable of expanding the main functions thanks to the use of these smart straps.
Still other patents show the use of microelectromechanical pressure sensors inside MacBook trackpads and even under iPhone displays to accurately detect small or gradual changes.
The experience for the end user would be very similar to that of 3D Touch but for the company it would be much easier to implement this technology in devices.
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