While Apple is preparing to drop the 3D touch feature from its iPhone lineup, starting with the iPhone XR, Google is implementing support for a similar feature called Deep Press in Android Q.
Currently, Android features a similar functionality in the form of long-press actions that were introduced in Android Oreo. They don’t need any specific hardware, and the user needs merely to long press the screen to open a contextual menu anywhere in the OS. Apple replaced the 3D Touch with a similar haptic feedback feature on the iPhone XR.
Coming back to Android Q, its documentation has revealed the Deep Press feature that’s described to trigger quickly when a user intentionally presses harder on the screen. The current long press option requires you to wait a bit for the menu to appear.
Do I need a pressure-sensitive screen for Deep Press?
OEMs like Samsung and Huawei are already implementing their pressure sensitive screen feature, but the functionality is limited due to lack of native support for such a feature in Android.
However, it’s unclear at the moment if this feature will need such pressure sensitive screens or if it could be used on existing devices as well.
Speaking of Apple’s decision to drop the 3D Touch, it was driven with an aim to cut down the cost and make the display less likely to break. It would be great if Google could implement the Deep Press feature in such a manner that all kinds of the screen could benefit.
