iPhone’s 3D Touch might be facing the chopping block after just 3 years
A Barclays analyst has claimed that the iPhone’s 3D Touch functionality, which famously debuted with the iPhone 6S, might be about to disappear with the 2018 iPhone, aka the iPhone 9.
Specifically, the analyst claims (via MacRumours) that the functionality will be dropped from the two OLED phones that Apple is alleged to be planning on releasing this year, but noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has previously claimed that the third LCD model will also be dropping the feature.
In terms of analyst predictions then, we’re looking at a clean sweep of the board.
The feature was meant to add what essentially amounted to right-click functionality to the iPhone’s screen. While you could still tap an app icon to enter the program, 3D Touch meant that you could press it firmly to reveal a context menu and give access to various app shortcuts (leaving the long-press command free to delete apps).
3D Touch would later make its way to the Apple Watch, though it’s never been included as a feature on the iPad.
Related: Best iPhone 2018
High-tech functionality without a killer application
This is an analyst’s report, and it’s always wise to take these with a large pinch of salt, but dropping the functionality intuitively feels like it makes sense.
3D Touch has never become a core part of the way people interact with Apple’s phones. Maybe it’s because people spent so long getting by without it, but we’ve never actually seen anyone use it outside of showing it off on a new handset.
Plus, iOS 12‘s Siri Shortcuts appear to offer much of the same functionality without needing the 3D Touch hardware.
Like any niche feature, we’re sure that if Apple does decide to drop it then there’ll be those that claim they won’t be able to live without it, but if this is an expensive feature that Apple can drop and use to rein in any price rises on this year’s phones then that’d be fine by us.
Are you a frequent user of 3D Touch? Let us know @TrustedReviews.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
