As Apple has created 3D Touch technology

Years of research and millions of dollars and inhuman labor. As Apple has staked everything - and won with a new feature 3D Touch.

Despite the fact that Apple has introduced a variety of products over the past few years, the process of their creation remains the same all the time. Take something ugly and complicated, make it a stylish and intuitive. Several years ago, a team of designers and engineers, Apple realized: the phone has a message card, photos, links, music - and people continue to take the time to press the "Home", switching between applications. Think of it as the maximum incarnation of "first world problems" but that such tasks are interested in Apple and move the company forward. Therefore, Alan Dai, head of the user interface, characterized by the need to make the iPhone better as inevitable - this word sounds from the mouth of the designer most likely.

The main thing - to start

The main role is played by Jonathan Ive - the legendary designer is becoming one of the first violins of the company. Of course, attention is focused not Quince on a new version of Apple TV or iPad, the size of the front door - the designer has devoted himself is not a product, and function. It's called 3D Touch and iPhone is designed to make it even easier to use.

It is worth noting that the average fan of the company would never have recognized the difficulties faced designers for the realization of a particular function. It's no secret that Apple is building the image of a corporation that creates innovation and easy. In fact, it turns out to be an illusion - as well as "Disneyland", which is actually never a country of happiness.

For starters, none of the Apple project has a clearly defined start and finish. On the way engineers and designers expect numerous twists and turns "not there", unsuccessful attempts and moments of epiphany. Therefore, no one really can not remember when it started active work in order to add 3D Touch into iPhone. Designers only say that increasingly wondering: what if we refuse to switch between applications and the home screen and bring the opportunity to do everything with a single click?

Further more. All those who are more or less familiar with such processes, know that an idea is not enough. With it, designers usually go to the engineers, and only those evaluated, how it can be implemented. In Apple it was a little different, because the company is primarily focused on design.

Starting point

The moment when the whole process of the development of 3D Touch activated, remembers Craig Federighi. When the whole concept embodied in its entirety, the designers said, "Yes! Here's what we want. " And only after that the main question was asked engineers: how realistic is it to make?

The answer was simple: it is possible, but very expensive. Although, of course, it is not as difficult as it was for competitors. Apple - a company with an amazing team. If you need the best professional of this or that sphere, can not even try to catch him, he was already working at Apple. Thus, the start has been given, the work has begun to boil.

Think about how many resources and ambitions were at stake. There would have swept any anxiety. But the design team says that they kept afloat by the fact that none of Apple project is not completed at the point where it starts. Ahead was a great trip.

All or nothing

The idea was to thin the device gave a sense of determination - that describes it Federighi. For this it was necessary to implement the ability to do press with an effort to phone screen naturally responded to every user movement. It seems that it's so simple - but if you do not make the process perfect, all flies to hell.

Cooperating with Corning company, Apple has created a unique product for the iPhone 6s. Swipe - and it works like a traditional touch-screen. But if you click on it, then getting into the act 96 sensors placed under the Retina-display. They evaluate minimal changes in the distance between them and the glass. Combining this data with information from the touch sensor, the display is synchronized with the movements of the finger.

For the first time this technology has appeared in the Apple Watch, and there it was called Force Touch. But compare it with the 3D Touch is simply wrong. iPhone 6s allows you to click on any point of the screen, a link, an image, a message, and so on. In this case, the object of attention becomes clearer, and the other information on the screen is slightly blurred. By the way, in the real world all the way around - if you click on something, it is moving away, and the rest remains in place and is best recognized by the eye. To smooth this contradiction, Apple plugged vibrator that if "praises" the phone owner - say, you're doing it right, well done.

The moment of truth

The development has been successful. The company's confidence in this is obvious: 3D Touch immediately integrated into all applications iPhone 6s. Yes, and Apple representatives did not hesitate to praise the new achievement. Andy Veyfer, game developer for the new smartphone, says it is "the biggest innovation since the first presentation to the phone."

As for the main progenitor of new items, the Jonathan Ive proud 3D Touch. Firstly, it is a new and better experience for every iPhone owner. Secondly, it says a lot about Apple. Can you imagine another company that has invested so much money, ambition and human labor to a small, almost imperceptible, but as a promising feature?

Based on materials bloomberg Business.