We already suspect that the Apple iPhone 6 will be packed to the gills with some exciting new features on both the hardware and software front, with an improved camera, NFC and enhanced LTE connectivity accompanying all the little treats that Apple is cooking up with iOS 8. Now, a new report has suggested that the next-gen handset will include dynamic haptic feedback, further enhancing a typing experience that is set to reap the benefits of third-party keyboard support.
Those who’ve jailbroken in the past may already have enjoyed haptic feedback support thanks to a number of tweaks that have facilitated this feature. However, the likes of HapticPro never felt seamless or proper, and often depleted the already strained battery life beyond belief, but one Chinese tech blog believes that Apple will indeed be coming through with something natively for the iPhone 6.
Haptic feedback, or tactile feedback, is where a device vibrates when touched, and is seen by many as a necessity in this generation of touch-based ecosystems. Whether making a key press or tapping on an app icon, tactile feedback allows a user to subtly ensure that any touch has been logged, and although this has long since been a part of the Android experience, the iPhone only vibrates for the purpose of alerting the user.
But how will this technology work? Well, even though, strictly speaking, the current-gen iPhone is capable of tactile feedback – although, as aforementioned, only via a jailbreak – this new report indicates that the next-gen Apple smartphone will pack a tactile feedback linear motor. At present, the iPhone 5s packs a bog-standard vibrating motor, but in citing sources in the know, Laoyaoba claims that Apple will replace the current set-up with something more advanced.
Not only would the more sophisticated motor enable key presses and such to be logged, but subtle, in-game vibrations – such as those you might encounter with a PlayStation or Xbox controller – may also be possible.
We fully expect Apple to launch two new models of iPhone later on this year, with a 4.7-inch model allied to a larger, 5.5-inch variant. If there’s any truth in this report today, it’s likely that both configurations will get the linear motor, and although there’s plenty more to be excited about besides haptic feedback, we’re nevertheless hoping that Apple will bake this feature into the Next Big Thing.
Thoughts?
(Source: Laoyaoba [Google Translate])
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