Apple appears to be bringing one of the most important — and divisive — features of the Apple Watch to the next iPhone. According to 9to5Mac, the iPhone 6S will include Force Touch and haptic feedback, allowing the phone to perform additional functions when pressure is applied to the screen.
While Force Touch allows for some smart new interactions — for instance, pressing harder on a fast-forward button to move ahead faster — it's also led to some confusion: you don't always know where Force Touch works or what it's going to do. That may be why, as 9to5Mac reports, the initial uses of Force Touch on the iPhone are said to be designed for "power users," meaning you won't have to use Force Touch in order to properly use an iPhone.
That said, Apple is reported to be redesigning small parts of both iOS and its own apps for Force Touch. 9to5Mac reports that Apple could remove some buttons from apps and hide them away in a Force Touch menu. For instance, the report says that using Force Touch on a word could make the phone look up its definition; currently, you have to highlight the word and then find the "define" button, which is a slightly longer process. Apple may also replace the use of a long press, in some instances, with a Force Touch. The Wall Street Journal previously reported on the tech's inclusion, so it's looking more and more like this will be one of the iPhone 6S's major features. The addition of even basic haptic feedback could also open up some interesting possibilities.
The other truly big feature addition that 9to5Mac's latest report discusses is a change to the notorious iOS 8 shift key, which exists in a perpetually ambiguous state between appearing on and off. To the relief of many, the next version of iOS will apparently change this to something more sensible. Apple is also said to be tweaking the keyboard layout in certain situations, seemingly with a focus on the iPhone 6 Plus' landscape mode. Apple may also make it easier to access or use its keyboard's QuickType feature.
Additional iOS 9 changes include support for read receipts in group messages and the ability to control which contacts receive read receipts, according to the report. The OS is also supposed to add the necessary tech to support the launch of Apple Pay in Canada. The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Apple Pay was planned for a launch in Canada this fall.
Apple will begin to discuss these changes a couple weeks from now, during its Worldwide Developers Conference. However, big additions like Force Touch and the rollout of Apple Pay probably won't be on the docket. Those announcements are more likely to come with the launch of the iPhone 6S several months from now.
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