14 DAY TRIAL // Apple’s betting big on 3D Touch, a feature that’s currently available on several of its devices, including iPhone and Watch, but the company is looking into ways to capitalize on its potential with implementation into more future products.
The next on the list seems to be the keyboard which, according to a new patent, might receive the 3D Touch treatment sometime in the near future.
PatentlyApple has found out that Apple was granted another patent this week that allows for the creation of what’s being called an “ultra-low travel keyboard with 3D touch functionality.”
Basically, Apple might be working to use its existing keyboard, which already employs a low-travel key mechanism, to create a more advanced version that would also integrate pressure-sensitive tech to perform a wider variety of tasks without the addition of new buttons.
Could launch in 2016
As you can see in the graphic that Apple included in the patent description, the new keyboards would come with a specific force sensor at the bottom of each key to determine the pressure that users create when pressing a button.
This way, certain tasks can be performed more quickly, such as formatting texts, inserting an emoji, or launching specific applications by simply pressing a key or much harder than you do it normally. This pretty much mimics the behavior on iPhones, where 3D Touch uses sensors to determine different pressure levels to bring up more options on the touch-capable screen, such as camera options, quick mail settings, and Safari features.
The very same feature can be used for a wider array of actions, such as creating digital scales with a 1 to 3 grams accuracy error, but for the moment, Apple doesn’t seem to be very keen on allowing developers to explore this side of the tech too much.
Apple hasn’t obviously commented on such a device, but it's believed that the keyboard could hit the market sometime next year to ship with new iMacs.