It looks like Samsung could be working on a Force Touch-like feature for the S8, its next flagship smartphone, according to various industry sources.
Force Touch and 3D Touch, coined by Apple with the release of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, allow developers to implement contextual, pressure sensitive features in their apps. Examples include the ability to zoom in on photos or creating app shortcuts.
While useful in theory, developer adoption of 3D Touch has been slow and the overall utility of the feature is also questionable. Google’s Pixel includes a feature that’s very similar to 3D Touch, though it isn’t based on pressure sensitivity. When you press on an app from the home screen, additional options are available to the user.
Other smartphones, which so far have not made their way to Canada, including the Huawei Mate S and Meizu Pro 6s, have also featured Force Touch like technology.
If Samsung does implement Force Touch in the S8 it will be interesting to see how many developers actually take advantage of the feature. Unlike the iPhone, which offers one unified ecosystem, Android consists of a disparate number of devices. Despite the Galaxy series’ popularity, it’s unclear if developers will be included to implement new control schemes in their apps if the technology is only supported by a small number of phones.
[source]The Investor[/source][via]Android Authority[/via]
