On Tuesday when Apple revealed their iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max, there was one feature missing. That feature? 3D Touch. It’s controversial amongst iPhone users: some love it, some have never used it. 3D Touch has been included in every iPhone model except the XR since the 6S in 2015. When you force pressed on your screen, you’re presented with an extra menu with quick actions. You could also bring up link previews. 3D Touch was also used on the iPhone X/XS/XS Max flashlight and camera buttons on the lock screen to prevent accidental activation.
Haptic Touch
Apple is replacing 3D Touch with Haptic Touch. What’s the difference? 3D Touch is actually pressure sensitive, while Haptic Touch isn’t. This can be problematic in some situations and doesn’t work as reliably as 3D Touch. However, 3D Touch requires the phone to be thicker, so removing it will allow iPhones to be even thinner, or at least accommodate for other new components contributing to the their density.
Is It Worth the Tradeoff?
Since the user base of 3D Touch is pretty low, and Haptic Touch is close enough to a replacement, I’d say so— especially since it’s removal allows the iPhones to be thinner. However, those who were heavy users of the feature will definitely be disappointed when they upgrade.
