Some 3D touch questions

[AtheistP3ace]

So I love 3D touch. Its really cool and I can imagine all kinds of great new ways to interact with stuff. Even outside of games. But so far all the things I've seen just seem like shortcut menus that take you to a specific area inside an app.

Is this all it can do currently? Does the API allow perhaps the ability for more complicated popups? With a textbox for searching or maybe some preview of something? Anything?

I imagine 3D touch on Facebook that allows me to enter a status update without entering app. Or maybe small thumbnails of the last few instagram images in my feed or some text display for last few posts in my Facebook feed.

Does anyone know?

 

[GrumpyTrucker]

I agree. 3D Touch could be capable of so many things but right now seems to only be a right click shortcut menu. I wouldn't mind being able to send a text to the last texted contact just by pressing the messages icon and typing in a box.

As far as I'm aware though, currently the API for the springboard menus only supports up to 4 lines of text with an icon. No direct interaction with the app is possible from the menu. That might change I suppose as it becomes more widespread over the next few years. Think of it now as a Beta that were testing so Apple can see if people use it.

I'd just like to see more devs coming up with uses for it but apart from a few it seems no one else is bothering so far. Still too busy doing watch apps.

 

[lagwagon]

3D Touch is a little more than just quick menus on the Home screen. (Think of that feature like a "right click" on a Mac.)

While it's partially quick access tasks to apps without jumping into the app and manually navigating yourself to that task. It's also to quickly peek into content, see if you need to act, if you do then pop into it, and if not, you let go and keep moving on.

I'm not sure you can have a text field from a peek. But Facebook is supposed to be getting updated for 3D Touch, and I believe one of the four quick access things from the Home screen icon is supposed to be for updating your status (wether that will allow you to quickly just type one in without going into the app or if it just launches the app "pre" taking you right to the status update screen ready to type one in. It's unknown.

In Instagram, there are a few ways you can use it inside the app. One that I know for sure works is, you can peek on someone's name and it will show you their recent images.

Basically, it's all up to the 3rd party devs to incorporate 3D Touch to their app. The API's are available. It's just slow rolling it out right now. Over time as devs come up with clever and creative ways to use it the feature as a whole will get better and better. (It's still brand new and a baby.)

Don't expect major additions and capabilities to the feature until iOS 10 though.

 

[GrumpyTrucker]

3D Touch is a little more than just quick menus on the Home screen. (Think of that feature like a "right click" on a Mac.)

While it's partially quick access tasks to apps without jumping into the app and manually navigating yourself to that task. It's also to quickly peek into content, see if you need to act, if you do then pop into it, and if not, you let go and keep moving on.

I'm not sure you can have a text field from a peek. But Facebook is supposed to be getting updated for 3D Touch, and I believe one of the four quick access things from the Home screen icon is supposed to be for updating your status (wether that will allow you to quickly just type one in without going into the app or if it just launches the app "pre" taking you right to the status update screen ready to type one in. It's unknown.

In Instagram, there are a few ways you can use it inside the app. One that I know for sure works is, you can peek on someone's name and it will show you their recent images.

Basically, it's all up to the 3rd party devs to incorporate 3D Touch to their app. The API's are available. It's just slow rolling it out right now. Over time as devs come up with clever and creative ways to use it the feature as a whole will get better and better. (It's still brand new and a baby.)

Don't expect major additions and capabilities to the feature until iOS 10 though.

True enough, but the peeking into content is only once you're inside the app already. From the Springboard it really is nothing more than a quick menu right now. Seems similar in functionality to the system of using safari links to take you straight into an app or the settings menu. Can't remember what that was called now. I guess it's got potential but right now it's very much a "play with it, get used to it because the good stuff is coming in a year or two" kind of feeling.

edit: Being able to 3D Touch an icon on the home screen and peek at recent content straight from the menu would be nice in the future.

 

[lagwagon]

True enough, but the peeking into content is only once you're inside the app already. From the Springboard it really is nothing more than a quick menu right now. Seems similar in functionality to the system of using safari links to take you straight into an app or the settings menu. Can't remember what that was called now. I guess it's got potential but right now it's very much a "play with it, get used to it because the good stuff is coming in a year or two" kind of feeling.

edit: Being able to 3D Touch an icon on the home screen and peek at recent content straight from the menu would be nice in the future.

For sure. For now it is just a "right click" type function for the Home screen and and peek into stuff while in an app. It's new and limited to get the feature out there for people to get used to this new way of interacting with their screen. The iPhone 7 with iOS 10 will almost guarantee add functionality to it, expanding what it can do. And definitely by the time the iPhone 7s and iOS 11 rolls around on it's third generation and the majority of users will be on a 3D Touch enabled device and non 3D will be almost phased out. It will be as common a thing to do as tap, long press, swipe is today and has been for years.

It's exciting to see where it will go.

 

[AtheistP3ace]

Thanks for all replies. I agree very excited to see where it goes. I love the peek pop stuff from inside an app but my original post was more towards stuff that happens from the home screen.

 

[lagwagon]

Thanks for all replies. I agree very excited to see where it goes. I love the peek pop stuff from inside an app but my original post was more towards stuff that happens from the home screen.

Yeah, for now the Home screen stuff is just menus to take you directly into a task within an app without having to launch and manually navigate to it yourself. Limited to four tasks (for now) and what the dev "deems" to be the four most common things someone might use.

 

[GrumpyTrucker]

For sure. For now it is just a "right click" type function for the Home screen and and peek into stuff while in an app. It's new and limited to get the feature out there for people to get used to this new way of interacting with their screen. The iPhone 7 with iOS 10 will almost guarantee add functionality to it, expanding what it can do. And definitely by the time the iPhone 7s and iOS 11 rolls around on it's third generation and the majority of users will be on a 3D Touch enabled device and non 3D will be almost phased out. It will be as common a thing to do as tap, long press, swipe is today and has been for years.

It's exciting to see where it will go.

Can't fault that reasoning. As long as they don't do the usual Apple thing of making stuff like that for the new phone only, especially next year. With 2GB RAM and this A9 (as long as you've got the TSMC chip, not the Samsung chip ) there's no way the 6S line should be left behind for stuff quite yet. The future should be good for 3D Touch, but it needs to be backwards compatible for a year or two yet so as not to alienate people. Heck, it's only a menu even if we can interact directly with it, even the 6 could manage that if it had the hardware.

So, come on devs, get with it and start using it. as a shortcut and in your apps. But PLEASE don't do it just because you can. Like a lot of these watch apps that make me think "on a WATCH? REALLY?".

 

[GrumpyTrucker]

Yeah, for now the Home screen stuff is just menus to take you directly into a task within an app without having to launch and manually navigate to it yourself. Limited to four tasks (for now) and what the dev "deems" to be the four most common things someone might use.

I'm not 100% but I think those 4 can actually be dynamic and change based on the features you use. Whether that's in the general API or just for the Apple apps right now I dunno but I'm sure I heard it on an iMore podcast that they can be dynamic

 

[gsmornot]

I continue to forget the function is there. With the new text in the top left for going back to an app I have trouble with thinking to peak at something first. I try to use it, when I think about it, to launch into Beats 1. This saves me from opening Music, selecting the Radio tab and hitting the button to play Beats 1 now. Three clicks to one, not bad but only half the time do I like the song. Ha. Music app though, within the app, has added some nice things due to this feature. Peeking at an album or playlist is nice. I could open it too like always (still do mostly) but I have been trying to peek more in the app.

I'm looking forward to making it part of my routine and then Apple making it a bigger part of the device. It took me a while to warm up to Spotlight but since iOS 8 I have been using it on a regular basis.

 

[lagwagon]

Can't fault that reasoning. As long as they don't do the usual Apple thing of making stuff like that for the new phone only, especially next year. With 2GB RAM and this A9 (as long as you've got the TSMC chip, not the Samsung chip ) there's no way the 6S line should be left behind for stuff quite yet. The future should be good for 3D Touch, but it needs to be backwards compatible for a year or two yet so as not to alienate people. Heck, it's only a menu even if we can interact directly with it, even the 6 could manage that if it had the hardware.

So, come on devs, get with it and start using it. as a shortcut and in your apps. But PLEASE don't do it just because you can. Like a lot of these watch apps that make me think "on a WATCH? REALLY?".

Any new features or functions added to 3D Touch on the 7, 7s won't leave the 6s left out. I'm not sure if that's what you thought I meant. I was meaning more in the sense that as the 7 and definitely the 7s come out, the majority will all be on 3D Touch enabled devices and very few won't be. So once the tech is in the hands of the majority, that's when it will fully mature with functions.

I'm not 100% but I think those 4 can actually be dynamic and change based on the features you use. Whether that's in the general API or just for the Apple apps right now I dunno but I'm sure I heard it on an iMore podcast that they can be dynamic

Yeah Renee Ritchie did mention they can be dynamic. (Messages for sure does) Like how you have the Siri suggestions that change based on day, time, location.

I don't know if 3rd party can access that yet though.

 

[GrumpyTrucker]

I continue to forget the function is there. With the new text in the top left for going back to an app I have trouble with thinking to peak at something first. I try to use it, when I think about it, to launch into Beats 1. This saves me from opening Music, selecting the Radio tab and hitting the button to play Beats 1 now. Three clicks to one, not bad but only half the time do I like the song. Ha. Music app though, within the app, has added some nice things due to this feature. Peeking at an album or playlist is nice. I could open it too like always (still do mostly) but I have been trying to peek more in the app.

I'm looking forward to making it part of my routine and then Apple making it a bigger part of the device. It took me a while to warm up to Spotlight but since iOS 8 I have been using it on a regular basis.

As far as the Music app goes I wish more than anything that the "Play Beats 1" link was a link for your most played album/playlist etc. Or it was a 4th link at least. I've tried Beats 1 and it's not not for me. Having quicker access to it is irrelevant to me. I know other people will get more mileage from that link but I doubt I'll ever listen to the station again.

 

[GrumpyTrucker]

Any new features or functions added to 3D Touch on the 7, 7s won't leave the 6s left out. I'm not sure if that's what you thought I meant. I was meaning more in the sense that as the 7 and definitely the 7s come out, the majority will all be on 3D Touch enabled devices and very few won't be. So once the tech is in the hands of the majority, that's when it will fully mature with functions.



Yeah Renee Ritchie did mention they can be dynamic. (Messages for sure does) Like how you have the Siri suggestions that change based on day, time, location.

I don't know if 3rd party can access that yet though.

No, I didn't think you actually meant that the 6S would be left behind, but I did think of it as an Apple type thing these days when you brought it up. Assuming no huge performance leap next year I could almost see them limiting new 3D Touch features to the 7 as the "key feature" of that year's iPhone and claim user experience reasons for doing it. But I'm a cynical old git

 

[lagwagon]

No, I didn't think you actually meant that the 6S would be left behind, but I did think of it as an Apple type thing these days when you brought it up. Assuming no huge performance leap next year I could almost see them limiting new 3D Touch features to the 7 as the "key feature" of that year's iPhone and claim user experience reasons for doing it. But I'm a cynical old git

They could, but I highly doubt they will block further 3D Touch features on the 6s so soon on the 7. The iPhone 8 I could see it happening with a "gen 2" type thing though.

Usually the remodels don't usually add a ton specific to the new model. What I expect is the obvious remodel. Slight bump in screen res (7 going up to 1080p and 7+ going up as well (1200's or maybe 1440)) I think the thing that the 7 for sure will get the 6s won't have, is 30fps Live Photos. (Up from the current 15fps)

 

[sn]

Try the pens in the upgraded Notes app. The harder you press, the thicker the line