These are the apps that are killing it with 3D Touch
Apple launched the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus what seems like AGES ago now and, as is usually the case, talk has now turned to what the company has in store for us with the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus and, potentially, the iPhone 7C. There is already quite a bit known about the iPhone 7; we know it will have a different design, a new CPU, improved imaging and potentially NO HEADPHONE jack.
The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are Apple’s top dogs until Q3 2016 and so far they’re selling very well indeed. Apple publicly confirmed a bunch of stuff a few months ago, cementing the iPhone’s reputation as THE phone to beat in today’s phone space. Analysts predict sales in excess of 67 million for the year, though that figure is likely to increase next year when the company unveils a brand new design for the iPhone 7.
Here's what Apple has to say about the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus' sales thus far:
"Customer response to the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus has been incredibly positive, we can't wait to get our most advanced iPhones ever into customers’ hands starting this Friday,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “iOS 9 is also off to an amazing start, on pace to be downloaded by more users than any other software release in Apple’s history.”
In a statement, Apple said:
- Both models will be available at 8:00 a.m. local time on Friday, September 25 in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, the UK and the US with a range of financing plans and payment options from Apple.com/uk, Apple’s retail stores, through select carriers and Apple Authorised Resellers.
- iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus will be available in gold, silver, space grey and the new rose gold metallic finishes. iPhone 6s will be available in the UK for a suggested retail price of £539 for the 16GB model, £619 for the 64GB model and £699 for the 128GB model. iPhone 6s Plus will be available for a suggested retail price of £619 for the 16GB model, £699 for the 64GB model and £789 for the 128GB model. All prices include VAT.
- Beginning September 26, customers will be able to visit Apple.com/uk to reserve their iPhone for pick-up at their local Apple Store, based on availability. Most Apple stores will also have iPhone available for walk-in customers each day.
- Apple-designed accessories including leather and silicone cases in a range of colours and Lightning Docks in colour-matched metallic finishes will also be available.
- Every customer who buys an iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus at an Apple Retail Store will be offered free Personal Setup to help them customise their iPhone by setting up email, showing them new apps from the App Store and more, so they’ll be up and running with their new iPhone before they leave the store.
- Anyone who wants to learn more about the new iPhones or iOS 9 can register for the free workshops offered at every Apple store.
The new iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus feature the 3D Touch display–a display that can not only sense touch, but the force of each touch. It’s a really cool piece of technology that enables a lot of the new features on the iPhone, including Live Photos and home screen shortcut actions for many of Apple’s built-in apps. But the 3D Touch display can also be taken advantage of by third-party developers who want to utilize some of its coolest features, namely:
Peek & Pop: Peek and Pop works within apps. As the name “Peek” suggests, the action allows you to quickly peek inside something. This something could be a link in an email or an email itself. For example, if you open the Mail app you no longer need to tap on a message to read it. You can Peek on it by applying pressure to the message and a preview window will pop up with the content of the email. Once you Peek on an element above you can then “Pop” it into place by simply pressing even harder. For example, if you Peek into an address so a map appears, just press a little harder to Pop into the actual Maps app. Similarly, when Peeking into an email, press a bit harder to Pop into the actual message where you can interact with it.
Quick Actions: Quick Actions are another series of actions the 3D Touch display allows for. Unlike Peek and Pop, which work inside apps, Quick Actions also work outside of apps right on the Home screen. I liken Quick Actions to contextual menus found on desktop operating systems. Force Touch on an app’s icon on the home screen to bring up the Quick Actions shortcut menu. Tap a menu item to carry out that command.
While Apple has done a good job in implementing Peek and Pop and Quick Actions into its apps, many developers have surpassed Apple in their implementation of 3D Touch support. Here are our top third-party apps that take advantage of the 3D Touch display so well.
Instagram (free)
Instagram is probably one of the best examples of apps that put the 3D Touch display to good use. By pressing on its icon a wide array of Quick Actions appear, including actions to send a direct message, quick access to search and activity feeds, and a shortcut to create a new post. But where the app excels is its use of peek and pop inside the app. Press on any users Instagram handle to peek into their feeds–you’ll see thumbnails of their latest image. Press harder to pop into their feed. You can also peek and pop into any thumbnail in yours or any other user’s feed.
Shazam (free)
Shazam makes this list because it utilizes the 3D Touch display to make the app just that much more convenient. Have you ever heard a playing song but it was over by the time you opened the app and told the app to start listening to it? We’ll now you can shorten the time between hearing the song and telling Shazam to start listening by pressing on the app’s icon–from the Quick Action menu you’ll be able to tell the app to start listening right away.
Trello (free)
The popular organizational and project management app has added deep support for 3D Touch. Quick Actions include shortcuts to your various Trello boards as well and the ability to view notifications and create a new card. But the app also supports peek and pop by allowing you to peek or pop into a card on one of your boards by pressing it.
News360 (free)
The uber popular personal news reader has really taken advantage of 3D Touch. Press lightly on a story to peek into it to get a three sentence summary, and then more forcefully to pop open the full text. It also supports Quick Actions on the News360 icon to quickly open Top Stories, Local News or your Saved stories.
Magic Piano (free)
3D Touch isn’t all about shortcuts and previewing–as the fun music app Magic Piano shows us. In the app press on your iPhone’s 3D Touch display to play a note loudly or softly based on the force of your touch. It’s a clever way to take advantage of the 3D Touch display and one that we hope other app makers will take inspiration from.
Evernote (free)
Organization and To Do app Evernote has implemented 3D Touch support across the app. It offers Quick Actions on the app’s icon to create a new note, take a photo, or set a reminder. But the coolest 3D Touch support comes inside the app with the ability to peek and pop on notes, links, and chats.
CityMapper (free)
CItyMapper is one of the best transit apps out there–so it’s no surprise they’ve taken advantage of the 3D Touch display. Press on the app’s icon and you’ll get Quick Actions to the “Get Me Home” shortcut, Get Me Somewhere, show nearby transit stops, and even a shortcut to share your location on Whatsapp.
Badland (£2.99)
3D Touch isn’t limited to just apps–it also works for games. Badland is a great example of how 3D Touch can be used to control a character. By Force Touching the screen players can control the speed of how the creatures move up and down the screen. The game also supports Quick Actions and Force Object tool (accessible in the editor tool) that allow you to create objects that can only be moved or destroyed by Force Touching them.